DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710220200

SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS         PAGE: 12   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAY LIDINGTON, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   58 lines

GYMNAST LEAVES PENN STATE FOR HOME AND ODU

Jon Uransky, the Lake Taylor graduate who competed in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships for Penn State this summer, has left the team and the school and returned to Norfolk.

A nagging back injury and financial aid problems forced the move two weeks ago, after the first semester of his sophomore year had started in State College.

``It's been rough working out,'' said Uransky. ``It's been going really well the last couple of weeks, but not now.''

The back injury was an ongoing problem and had accumulated over time. He reinjured it this fall when he fell from the still rings while working out at PSU.

Financing his schooling also became a pain. A couple of Uransky's classes were canceled this semester and his grants reduced, throwing his financial aid situation into turmoil. He was unable to foot what remained of his tuition bill, which can run up to $18-20,000 per year for full-time students.

So, he left for his family home in Norfolk. His break from the school and gymnastics coach Randy Jepson was amicable, Uransky said.

The 5-foot-4, 20-year-old Uransky said he is sticking with gymnastics. He'll continue to train and compete for Gymstrada of Virginia Beach and will attend Old Dominion University, which has no formal gymnastics team, in the spring.

Now, Uransky wants to get healthy and set up a competition schedule for himself. His primary goal is to get back to the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, where he placed 39th in the all-around competition this year.

Uransky posted an all-around score of 45 there and had high scores of 8.3 on the vault and 8.4 on the high bar and a low score of 6.35 in still rings. Blaine Wilson, who competed on the 1996 Olympic Team, won the meet with a score of 110.050.

Uransky registered the best score of his career on the high bar 9.625 at the NCAA East Regional in April to finish tied for ninth with teammate Roy Malka. He also recorded a career-best 9.450 in the floor exercise at Nebraska March 16.

A four-time state amateur champion while at Lake Taylor, he was also a baseball all-star and a member of the all-city orchestra.

In his first trip to the U.S. Gymnastics Federation men's junior nationals in 1994, a 16-year-old Uransky finished third all-around in the Level 2, 16-18 division. He also was sixth on parallel bars.

``Right now, our biggest thing is to get back to the U.S. championships and make the national team again,'' Uransky. ``I did really bad.''

While he was at Penn State, Jepson praised Uransky as a reliable competitor with explosive moves and promised Uransky's success would blossom as he worked at his sport at one of the country's premier gymnastics schools.

``I think any time you're on the floor with the highest-caliber of competition, it can be intimidating or it can boost your confidence,'' Jepson said. Uransky is ``one that's going to feel comfortable in that setting and hopefully it will be a motivating thing for him.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Jon Uransky

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