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Special to the Herald That old saying — save the best for last — was never better demonstrated than at the recent NCAA Gymnastics Championships at Ann Arbor, Mich. Penn State’s captain, senior Tom Dunn of Arlington Heights, entered the finals of the NCAA parallel bars championships tied for fifth place. Performing what his coach, Gene Wettstone, called maybe his best routine ever, the quiet captain vaulted into a tie for the NCAA Championship. Dunn received scores of 9.5, 9.5, 9.4 and 9.3 from the judges, for an average score of 9.45 to become Penn State’s and Wettstone’s 33rd NCAA champion. Upon completion of his routine, Dunn was mobbed by his Penn State team mates, while receiving a thunderous ova tion from the 9,000 fans (a new NCAA gymnastics record) at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena. Tom’s co-championship was not as sured however, until the leader, Brent Simmons of Iowa State, finished his final routine. Simmons, the 1971 Nissen Award winner, earned a 9.3 score, and the 1971 parallel bars championship ended in a tie. A national title seemed a fitting end to Dunn’s Penn State career. Because of a pre-season ankle injury, Tom was not able to work his specialty, the all-around, this past season. “Tom naturally was disappointed not to be able to work the all-around this year,”’ says Wettstone. ‘But I think that being deprived of the opportunity made him work harder on the events not hin dered by his injury.”’ Tom, an education major who is now student teaching in Waynesboro, Pa., agrees with his coach. “Being out of the all-around enabled me to concentrate more on the parallel bars,”’ he says. “I also became more aware of what a team sport gymnastics is.” As a team, the Lions, a decided under dog, finished third to Iowa State, the champion, and Southern Illinois. With six of the 14 man NCAA team being freshmen, the Lions should im prove on their third place finish next year. You might think Tom would like to re turn. “With all the underclassmen, the team should be great,’’ he says. ‘But I’ve en joyed my career and a national title is a good way to end.”
Newspaper Details
Elk Grove Village Herald
Elk Grove Village, Illinois, US
Wed, Apr 14, 1971
Page 9
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USA 10 Oct 2025
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