Hi Pat. This is John Young and I was on the Aurora team for my junior and senior year and graduated along with Terry Truman and others in 1965. Although I wasn't that good, I did manage to letter in both years working P-Bars. Anyway, I have been following the blogs with great interest and fond memories of the guys on the Aurora team and the other competitors from the other schools that we competed with. I have stayed in contact with Terry over the many years and in fact he was the first person that I met at Aurora when I was a sophomore having moved to Aurora after attending Hill Jr. High in Denver. Gary Walker and I both went to Hill.

As a side note, Ed Klanecky and I both took our physical for the draft at the same time and of course he got out with a 4-F because of a bad knee I believe and I was drafted.

It has been very interesting for me to read the many bios and I have to admit that Ben Blea got my vote for the most entertaining and interesting. I got a lot of information over the years from Don Robinson who kept me up to date on the details of the world of gymnastics and also from Terry who, as you all know stayed active through judging.

When I read Rich Jouen's comments about Terry Truman, it jogged a little memory I had of an article that Terry wrote when he turned 30 years old and which was published in, I believe the Rocky Mountain News . I told Terry that I would send this article to him which I did and asked him to get it on the blog which he agreed to do, but knowing Terry's humility or as he would say "I was too busy", I don't think he will do it, so I've decided to include it in this email for the group to enjoy. Because we're all a bunch of old farts I think everyone can relate and will enjoy it. It's pretty remarkable when you read this and realize this was done from rote memory, no research, and pretty much highlights the mis-spent youth some of us enjoyed or at least read about in the papers. It's scary to think this was written 32 years ago and even scarier to think some guys can still do a handstand, not to mention from a press.

I hope everyone enjoyed the reunion and got to establish old relationships as well as realizing the huge impact it had on all of our lives, even if some of us did not continue the pursuit. Best regards to all the great Colorado gymnasts and I hope you enjoy Terry's article.

John Young
909-350-2266
714-747-2555 Cell

One of the newspaper clippings from earlier in the blog declared "3-Man Gym Team Wins Gym Title." I was fortunate to be one of the the three but at the same time I knew we had a lot of other good members on that team - Tim Larson and Ken Macaulay went on to take state championships the following year. So I went and looked at the state meet results and the article was right - so here is a photo from the reunion of those three along with Coach White - Tom Proulx, Pat Edwards and Rich Murahata. The only thing we won at the reunion was biggest waistline!
Now here's a reunion story I hadn't heard before but Ed Klanecky shared with me and since he's an Aurora Central alum I don't know if I should believe him or not. I am inclined to believe him though since he's a first class guy and always has been.
Anyway on with the "story."
Ed told me that the "powers that be" were considering a rule change for the '66 season to determine how the team championship would be determined. Rather than giving points for where competitors placed the option was proposed to move to the format that now exists where are individual scores are added up to determine the team score. Ed shared that Aurora Central thought they had greater depth than Fairview so Coach Robinson wanted to go to the new format while Coach White wanted to stay with the existing format. The traditionalists won and a "three-man" team won the state meet. I personally don't agree with AC's belief that a rule change would have provided them an opportunity to win the team title but someone would have to dig up some individual scores of the team members to get some idea of who is right. And of course teams like Wasson, Lincoln and Ranum might want to add their two cents as well.

SO WHERE ARE SOME MORE STORIES FROM THE REUNION OR FROM YOUR MEMORIES? AND SOME OF YOU PROMISED ME MORE OLD MEMORIES, CLIPS AND PHOTOS THAT YOU HAVEN'T DELIVERED ON YET - SO GET WITH IT!

These are the kinds of helpful comments I hope to receive from you guys over the coming weeks.

Pat,
Although Gauthier seems like he may be a banjo player from West Virginia, I think Williamsberg is in Virginia. It's hidden between the modern Navy HQ and the Confederate capital, a few miles from Jamestown. You're probably confused because he looks like one of the guys from "Deliverance".
Jaouen

To which I responded to our esteemed plastic surgeon who specializes in burns and trauma,

I'll be sure to get your correction posted! Go put butter on somebody's burns.

Tom Proulx - the winner of the most ample waistline (biggest gut - over 47") wasn't even challenged by any other reunion attenders. Compare carefully the photo at left with the one on the right to see how some people "let themselves go to pot." And this from a guy who was both a national and world champ! Oh, how the great are fallen (or grown-groan)!

Handstand Winner
























As shared briefly in an earlier post Gary Pomeranz won the the handstand contest judged by the coaches with an actual straight arm, straight leg press that he held. Even thought the photo doesn't show it his toes were pointed!

To the right you can see Dennis Berg getting ready to launch into his effort at a handstand watched by emcee Jack Ryan. Better luck Dennis at our next reunion in another forty years.

I'm still waiting for photo and written contributions.

SID FREUDENSTEIN
Although I did not compete or coach in Colorado in the sixties, I arrived in 1969 and met many of you then and when I became more involved in the 70’s and 80’s. Actually, I believe I was in at least one USGF competition at the Air Force Academy in the late sixties? The following is a modified bio I first made in 2005 for another event.

Before High School

I started flipping while in 6^th grade when my grandfather found me alone at home diving off the rafters in the garage on to an old couch. He enrolled me in diving school at Sammy Lee's swim & dive club. I didn't really like diving, because I wore glasses, but I did learn a little trampoline (you would never have guessed that if you saw me compete!) In Jr. high, there were some bars and rings outside in a sandpit and I taught myself kips and giant swings (with straps). I didn't know the names of the skills then, I just saw other kids doing them.

High School

Started formal gymnastics as a sophomore in 1960 under Ron Amster at Anaheim High School, CA. He was responsible for my initial success. I won many competitions, mostly on tumbling, floor and vault. In my senior year, I was the High Point Man (closest to All-Around) at the Southern Calif. State Championships.

Cal was Amster's first choice for me, but my grades weren't quite good enough. I was awarded a scholarship to Univeresity of Southern California, and since many of my high school chums went there, I was excited to go. When I went to matriculate, there was no packet for me! When I went to the A.D's office, he told me I was rejected and my scholarship went to someone else, (who only lasted two years)! I was devastated, but I enrolled at Santa Ana Jr. College and continued to train at my high school.

I finally made it to Cal in 1964 and graduated in 1968 with a degree in physics. My highlights at Cal are many. I had a wonderful time, and met some incredible people. I was injured much of my first year, but my sophomore year saw much progress. I won many invitationals, PAC 8. and regional titles. Here is a highlight list of some regional, national and international awards.

1964 - Pasedena Invit. 2^nd Vault

1965 - USGF Invite - 1^st PB, V, FX, 2^nd AA

1966 - NCAA Nationals - 3^rd Vault

Pasedena Invite - 2^nd V, 3^rd FX

USGF Nationals - 2^nd FX, V

PAC 8 Championships - 1^st Vault

1968 - Olympic Trials - 3^rd

NCAA Championships - 1^st FX and Team

PAC 8 - 1^st V, FX

North American Championships, Vancover - 1^st FX, V, Team, Team Capitan.

World University Games, Tokyo - 2^nd FX

In the summer of 1966, I was chosen, thanks to my coach, Hal Frey, to attend an Olympic training camp at Penn State, and most importantly a USGF alternate to the World Championships in Dortmund Germany. This had a profound effect on me, because I realized that some of my idols were human and made mistakes in training also.

I was married in March of 1967.

In the summer of '67, I was chosen (again thanks to Hal) to the World University Games in Tokyo. I placed second in floor exercise against some of the best in the world. I was stoked!

My senior year in 1968, at the NCAA Championships I tied for first on Floor Exercise, and we won the Team title in a thrilling ending.

On the way to the Olympics

•19^th out of 20 selected in 1^st trials!

•1-2 week training camp at Natchitoches, La

•My first daughter, Liesl was born August 1968.

•2^nd in 2^nd trials at Penn State (top 6 from first trials not present)

•3^rd in Final Trials at UCLA (see article by Jim Murray following Art White’s bio)

•Training at UCLA and Colorado Springs

•Chosen co-captain of the 1968 Olympic Gymnastics Team

I was sick in Mexico City for several training days, but did well in general. I was told I would have made the finals on floor if our compulsory session hadn't been first thing in the morning when the scoring was low.

After 1968

Entered graduate school at University of Colorado (CU), in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. I had a second child and occasionally judged high school gymnastics meets. My last couple of years in grad school, I announced CU's home meets. Thank you Dave Wardell! When CU needed a temporary (I thought) coach, I agreed to be head couch for a year while I found a physics job.

I started as head coach at CU in the fall of 1976. I finished my Ph.D. in Physics in 1976-7, and started to teach physics at Metropolitan State College of Denver in the spring of 1977. I did both until CU dropped 7 sports, including gymnastics in 1980. When I took over, the team was in shambles, I hired Buzz Clark, and at the end we were ranked preseason in the top-ten. I relish my time as coach at CU. It is where I met some incredible Colorado people and felt like I made a difference in Colorado gymnastics. Remember the big meet in the Coors Event Center with the young Japanese team and several future Olympians for the USA? Too bad the university didn’t see fit to continue the program. I felt so bad for the disappointed student-athletes who had to make some hard and potentially life changing decisions. Dropping the sport was devastating for the Colorado high school programs as well.

In 1980 and 1982, I was chosen by the state of Colorado to be the exchange coach of a sister-state program in Brazil. I taught clinics to coaches and teachers. They sent soccer coaches to Colorado (what else?)

In 1982, I started and directed a not-for-profit private club (along with ex-CU gymnast, Rob Candelaria) called Colorado Academy of Artistic Gymnastics (CAAG). It grew to its maximum of 417 students right after the '84 Olympics. The City of Boulder then opened a program (with ex-CSU gymnast, Ron Cresentini) and took our more lucrative beginner’s business by significantly undercutting our rates.

In 1987, I left the club because it was taking too much time from my college teaching and family. The team parents took over and soon left it to Rob. The gym is now called CATS. That same year I married one of the gym parents, the beautiful Kathleen (then Taylor). My two daughters were 18 and 14. Kathy’s daughter was 12 and so we had our hands full with three teenage daughters living with us!

We completely remodeled our Victorian house in Boulder (had to make room)! It has been on a couple of house and garden tours.

Our first grandchild was born on Thanksgiving Day 2000. Four others came, all about a year apart. All five live with their parents in or near Boulder.

I have published and given talks on the biomechanics of gymnastics and I authored a teaching manual for major textbook in physics. I have also published several papers in plasma physics, and teacher education. I have been chair of the department at Metro since 1995.

In 2005 I was inducted into the University of California Athletic Hall of Fame.

In December, 2008, I had a total knee replacement due to an old injury, (snapped my ACL while tumbling on our new spring floor during our winter clinic, 1979). Note the pre-surgery left knee in the Venice (not Las Vegas) picture.

I am glad Pat thought of contacting me even though I am not an “official” 60’s alum. I have many good memories of Colorado completions, clinics, NORCO camps. Etc. but most of all, the people I met. I am grateful for the help and memories many of you gave me, CU and CAAG.

Have a great reunion!

Sid

Well, as promised I'm baaaack...
So if you have comments, observations, photos or whatever you can send them to me and I'll get them posted. For me the reunion went perfectly and I thank all of you for your many kind words. For me it was a "labor of love" but you can leave the labor out. All of you know how good you feel when you are able to give someone you care about a special gift - well that's how I felt this past weekend.

The two who had to miss the banquet, one because of work and another because of a delayed flight were able to participate in the other weekend events so they weren't left out.

The blog will remain up and a number of you have indicated you still have old photos and clippings to contribute plus I hope you'll send photos of the reunion as well. If your conversations went like mine you probably discovered you did and said a lot of things you don't remember.

Today I want to feature the coaches in the photos and from the time Friday night it's obvious how much they meant to all of us. In alphabetical order we had Ben Coleman, Jim Hartman, Don Robinson, Dave Wardell and Art White with us. Now those are the golden oldie coaches but a lot more of us coached as well and I can only hope our legacy will be as rich as their's with the men and women we coached. One of my few regrets was that I didn't think to get a group shot of these coaches together.