There is one thing that athletes hate most. It’s every
athlete’s nightmare and yet it is an inevitable part of what
they do.
Getting injured.
Athletes know that they are one injury away from never being
able to do what they do best. No one is more familiar with this
word than the Schwikert sisters. Sophomores Jordan and Tasha
Schwikert have been doing gymnastics for many years, and to them,
injury is just something that comes with the territory.
“Injury is just a part of this sport. You don’t
really get through this sport unscathed. That’s why it is
imperative to be fit and strong,” coach Valorie Kondos Field
said.
As the Bruins get set to begin their new season, they will have
to do without Jordan and Tasha. Both sisters underwent arthroscopic
surgery on their shoulders early in the year and are still
recovering from their injuries.
“Both of them are acting like superhuman individuals,
coming back a lot quicker than normal human beings would. So far it
looks good,” Kondos Field said.
Tasha, the reigning NCAA all-around champion, underwent surgery
in mid-December to repair what was diagnosed as a tear in her
rotator cuff tendon. Fortunately, there was no tear and the bone
spurs were cleaned up. These bone spurs had frayed away at the
tendon, causing the pain in her shoulder.
Jordan, who underwent the same surgery at the end of November,
had a similar diagnosis originally. However, like her sister, the
doctors only found bone spurs, which were easily removed.
“It’s getting better slowly. I still have a lot of
trouble sleeping at night because you can’t really move.
It’s like this constant throb in your shoulder. But the
trainer said I was ahead of schedule as far as getting flexibility
and strength back,” Tasha said.
Both girls are spending their time conditioning and
rehabilitating and although the timetable is still uncertain, both
expect to compete later in the season.
In the meantime, the team has had to quickly adjust and fill in
the holes. With the two sisters out of the lineup, the Bruins are
yielding a young squad with seven freshman led by the team’s
lone senior Kate Richardson.
Richardson, who broke her tibia in October and was out for
several weeks, has stepped up and guided the team forward with her
leadership. Having competed for the Canadian Olympic team in both
2000 and 2004, Richardson has helped the team cope with their
injuries. In their recent meet against second-ranked Utah, she won
the all-around with a score of 39.275.
“It’s definitely a challenge without them but
it’s exciting at the same time because now we need everybody
that’s on the team to step up and do their job,”
Richardson said.
It’s been tough, however, as displayed in their recent
heartbreaking loss to second-ranked Utah. The Bruins entered the
final round with a narrow lead, but a few mistakes and a few falls
on floor allowed the Utes to come from behind for the victory.
However, the future is bright for the team. With their depleted
lineup, the freshmen have had ample opportunity to step up and gain
some experience of their own. In their season opener in Hawaii,
freshmen Melissa Chan and Kristina Comforte both finished in the
top five.
And it hasn’t hurt that the freshmen are receiving
coaching from their two injured teammates. Although they have not
been competing themselves, both Tasha and Jordan have contributed
to their young team’s growth by guiding the newcomers.
“The most frustrating thing for me is to be at the meets
and not be able to participate. But I try to help wherever I can. I
give the girls pointers whenever I can and give moral support to
the team,” Tasha said.
As the team gets set to compete against their Pac-10 rivals,
though, the girls won’t have much room for error. The tough
schedule only adds to the difficulty of the road that lies ahead.
Next month, the team will face the defending NCAA champions at the
University of Georgia in what could be a preview of the NCAA finals
in April.
“This is one of the most enthusiastic teams I’ve
coached. They have this innocent enthusiasm for being able to
compete as Bruins that maybe some of us who have been here for a
while kind of take for granted. Some of the mistakes have just been
freshman jitters but for the most part they’re doing very
well,” Kondos Field said.
But regardless of the injuries and the lack of experience, the
expectations are the same. And with all the talent on the team, and
a possible return of the Schwikert sisters, it would not be a
surprise to see the Bruins bring back yet another national
title.