Better News! I had the video professionally transferred to DVD to improve the quality, the copies have been made and will be mailed out today or tomorrow (9/30-10/1).

While activity on the blog has slowed down since the reunion the ramifications of the event have not. I'd like to share a recent interaction I had with Rich Jaouen and hopefully some of you will send me follow ups from the reunion to share as well. I also finished my first Connie Willis novel and am about to start my second for those of you are science fiction fans. I'll bet Courtney could even get Connie to autograph your book.

Exchange of E-mails between Rich and Pat

DonPanic@aol.com to me

show details Sep 27 (4 days ago)

Pat,
I'm using a picture of Jack as my screen saver this week. If you would have won a national title I would have used you.
Rich

Patrick Edwards to DonPanic

show details Sep 28 (2 days ago)

I was going to be one of the national polio poster children until the girl in the picture with me died. Does that qualify?

DonPanic@aol.com to me

show details Sep 29 (2 days ago)

Pat,
This is perfect. I wish I were the kind of person that doesn't see the humor in this, but I'm not. Thanks for the screen saver Pat!
Rich

Patrick Edwards to DonPanic

show details Sep 29 (2 days ago)

You're more than welcome. ;) I just feel honored knowing I can replace Jack Ryan when the time comes.

GOOD NEWS!
The master DVD goes to the duplication company today and should be ready for mailing next week. I'm giving it the final review even as I write this. Unfortunately it doesn't have the quality we're use to with the old 8mm films or professionally produced videos but it will still give you an hour of enjoyment AND it's FREE! I'm sending it to everybody who has responded so about 65 DVD's will be going out soon. I'm also having some extras made for additional requests. These should play on any DVD player.

FOUR OLD GYMNASTS -
Just got this from Terry Truman - Bobby Fisher's wedding day. I went to his bachelor party (can't tell you where it was since Bobby has always had such a sterling reputation) but I don't remember going to his wedding. I wonder if it was because I didn't have a leisure suit like Alexander and Sargent?

This is what happens when people won't help me identify people in the photos I've posted! ;)

Pat,
Joan saw the comment about her being "someone's trophy wife" and would like you to know that she is definitely NOT a trophy wife, but a wife with trophies!
Vince

Recent trophies the wife has won
PS I wouldn't piss her off again if I were you! :-)

These photos are from the smaller gathering on Saturday night for guys coached by Art White and Don Robinson.

Don't forget all the photos will greatly enlarge if you click on them!

Marty Quigley, Ken Macaulay, Jim Hegy, Jack Ryan

Art White, Jim Hegy, Chris & Pat Edwards, Rich Jaouen

Marty Quigley, Ken Macaulay, Don Robinson

Ed Klanecky, Pat Edwards

Louann White, Don Robinson, Dottie McGuire, Bob Mullins

Don Robinson, Dottie McGuire

Chris Edwards, Louann White, Rich & Renee Murahata

Ed Klanecky, Cindy Hegy, Carla Hoffschneider

Carla Hoffschneider, Ed Klanecky, Tracey Ryan, Cindy Hegy

Frank Miles, Marty Quigley

Tracey Ryan, Cindy Hegy, Bob Mullins, Carla Hoffschneider, Ed Klanecky

Rich Jaouen, Jack Ryan

Dan Evans, Jim Hegy, Larry Hoffschneider

Dottie McGuire, Art White, Ken Macaulay, Don Robinson

Louann White, Carla Hoffschneider, Jack Ryan, Larry Hoffschneider

Renee Murahata, Chris Edwards, Rich Murahata, Jack Ryan, Carla Hoffschneider

Jim Hegy, Renee Murahata, Jack Ryan

Rich Murahata, Chris Edwards, Renee Murahata

Ken Macaulay, Art White, Don Robinson, Dottie McGuire

Ken Macaulay, Don Robinson, Dottie McGuire, Dan Evans

Tracey Ryan, Connie Jaouen, Larry Hoffschneider, Rich Jaouen

Louann White, Larry & Carla Hoffschneider, Jack Ryan, Bob Mullins

Good News!

I've got a great price on DVD duplication so thanks to our generous benefactor I hope to send out a DVD to all attenders and others who are interested - BUT I'll need your complete address which you can email to me - PatEUtah@gmail.com if I don't have it already. I will wait a few more weeks to see if any of you are going to contribute photos to the blog from the reunion. The DVD will contain a video that includes almost the entire program. The video ends towards the end of Steve Iannicito's reminiscing. It will also include the brief video of the blog contents that was shown at the reunion and the photos I've collected for the blog. Some of you who were unable to attend have expressed interest in having a copy of the program so we'll get one to you as well. I'll also send this to our email list since some of you follow one but not the other.
Pat

And now for your viewing pleasure a contribution sent in by Art White from a Modern Gymnast magazine. I didn't realize they had stop-action photography back in the good ole days! Remember to click on the photo to enlarge it.

Memorabilia Heaven

I'm going to need help with this one since segregation was practice! I know from left we have Bob Mullins, Bob Popp and Steve Iannicito but which women goes with these guys is beyond me. I do think one is also Ed Klanecky's wife since Bob Mullins is single.

Larry Dardano and Ed Klanecky

From left: Tom Jenkins, Bob Poston, Janie Schroeder, Cliff Gauthier, Steve Schroeder, Dennis Hartman, Jim Hartman

A REUNION STORY
When I was taking reservations for the reunion banquet Courtney Willis wrote to say he would be attending alone since his wife would be attending the World Science Fiction Convention. Since I'm a lifelong fan of science fiction I wrote back to ask him why his wife got to go the World Science Fiction Convention while I got stuck at a weekend with a bunch of old jocks. He never responded but then answered my question at the Saturday afternoon session. At this point I will refer to Wikipedia to share what Courtney shared with me. Those of you who are fans of science fiction will immediately understand the significance of Connie's career. Tomorrow I'll be going to the library to pick up a couple of her books.

Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis (born 31 December 1945) is an American science fiction writer. She has won, among other awards, ten Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards. Willis most recently won a Hugo Award for All Seated on the Ground (August 2008). Willis is a 1967 graduate of Colorado State College, now the University of Northern Colorado. ^[1] She lives in Greeley, Colorado with her husband Courtney Willis, a professor of physics at the University of Northern Colorado. She also has one daughter, Cordelia. Connie Willis was the 2009 inductee to the Science Fiction Museum and Science Fiction Hall of Fame. ^[2]

Willis is known for her accessible prose and likable characters. She has written several pieces involving time travel by history students and faculty of the future University of Oxford. These pieces include her Hugo Award-winning novels Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog and the short story "Fire Watch", found in the short story collection of the same name. She is currently working on another book set in this universe. It will be published as a two book set. The first volume, Blackout ^[3] is scheduled for release on February 2, 2010. The second volume, All-Clear,^[4] will be released six months later.

It's hard to believe a little over five months ago I was sitting in my recliner with a broken knee cap and getting bored to the point that I finally decided it was time to do something about a gymnastics reunion some of us had been talking about for more than five years. And now the reunion has come and gone but what a great time it was. The only thing that would have made it better was to have a little more time with each of you.
Here are some more photos from the banquet but I only have a few photos left so it's time for some of you to send me your photos to post.

This actually belongs in the previous post.
Clockwise: Larry Dardano, Ben & Olga Coleman, Larry Hoffschneider, Gloria Salazar, Carla Hoffschneider.

Bonnie & Tom Proulx, Sam Sargent, Jim Royce, mystery couple because I can't blow it up enough to identify them so help me out!

Tracey Ryan is Missing. In the preceding and following photo she somehow managed to avoid the camera. From left: Art White, Jack Ryan, Louann White, Renee Murahata, Ken Macaulay, Rich Murahata

The Senior Table?
From lower left: Dave & Carolyn Wardell, Susie & Jim Ryan, Courtney Willis, Charlie Jackson, Don Robinson, Dottie McGuire

Rich & Connie Jaouen (foreground), Dennis & Marie Berg, Barbara & Ben Blea

Well, here are some photos I took at the reunion and I'll add more over the next few days. If you have some to add be sure to send them to me. I'm hoping to get the video of the program loaded onto my computer and put into DVD format for everyone but you'll have to be patient for that.

Some North Guys: They clean up real well!
Steve Iannicito and Gary Pomeranz

No Hair, Some Hair, A Silver Mane!
Tom Proulx, Ben Blea and Barbara, Dennis Berg

Ed Klanecky and Dave Wardell

My Table with the Private School Boys:
Vince & Joan Nicoletti, Frank Swanson, Mike Meyer, Marty Quigley, Chris Edwards

Gloria Salazar, Carla Hoffschneider, Gil Salazar, Pam & Jim Fulcher, Ben & Olga Coleman

Some of the "good-time boys!"
Ben Blea and Dennis Berg

Some of the Fairview Gang: Marty Quigley, Coach White, Tom Proulx, Me (with a halo!) Ken Macaulay, Rich Murahata

Some of the taller gymnasts: Jack Ryan, Connie and Rich Jaouen, Tracey Ryan

Someone's Trophy Wife, Frank Swanson, Mike Meyer