Gymnast Sykes To Compete at U.S. Championship

PHILADELPHIA (July 17) - Between presenting a doctoral dissertation and heading to

the University of Iowa Medical School, you can not blame Temple's Kenny

Sykes (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) for flipping out. It's just his

nature. It's also what might take him to Sydney, Australia, to compete

in the 2000 Summer Olympics as a member of the United States Gymnastics

Team.

Sykes competed for the Owls as an undergraduate from 1993-97 and is

currently completing the chemistry doctoral program at Temple. As if

that were not enough, he is preparing to move to Iowa in August to begin

medical school. In between presenting his doctoral dissertation and

defending it, he is on the brink of achieving another goal ? a spot on

the U.S. National Gymnastics Team.

The first step, however, is to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

Sykes and his coach Fred Turoff are heading to the U.S. Championship in

St. Louis on Monday to do just that. This event serves as the first

round of trials; the second, and final, round will be held in August.

Sykes, a former National Team member in 1996 and 1997, still gets

nervous thinking about the upcoming meet, although this will be his

fifth time at a National Championship. "I just want to hit my routines

because everything follows that. I'm not too concerned with placing

because if I hit my routines, then placing will follow." Sykes also

admits he does not feel like he is in the best shape, despite achieving

a personal best while qualifying for the championship.

Turoff, Temple's head gymnastics coach since 1976, has seen Sykes

develop into a polished gymnast. "He was a skinny kid when I got him.

He's turned into a well-built, focused athlete." Turoff knows there is

not much more teaching he can do for the Olympic hopeful now. "The time

for learning is gone. All I can do now is push routines and help him

perfect skills."

The field of competition is a familiar one for Sykes. He says there

are about 20-25 men on the same level, and they have gotten to know each

other through the years. But with only 14 available positions, the

competition is extremely intense. Sykes says he is going out there not

only to compete against other gymnasts, but to improve his personal

best.

Should Sykes qualify for the 2000 Summer Games, he will be the

fourth Owl to compete in gymnastics at that level. He would follow

Dominick Minicucci (1992), Bob Stout (1952) and Chet Phillips (1936).

Temple University Athletics