The last hurrah
Senior gymnast Greg Umphrey enjoys finale to outstanding
career
By Emmanuelle Ejercito
Five years of hard work and experience will come to a close this
weekend when gymnast Greg Umphrey represents the UCLA men’s
gymnastics team for the last time.
Umphrey used up his NCAA eligibility last year. However, because
the team became a club sport Umphrey was allowed to compete for
five years under club regulations.
Umphrey began gymnastics when he was eight years old. He came to
UCLA in the fall of 1990 because of its high quality academics and
gymnastics. An added bonus was that his older brother, five-time
All-American Chainey Umphrey, competed for the Bruins.
"I’ve always worked out with my brother ever since I was
little," said Greg Umphrey, who did not feel a shadow cast by his
brother. "To be able to work out with him was an added incentive. I
help him a lot by teaching him things, he helps me a lot by
teaching me things. It’s a good mutual relationship."
Said Chainey: "It was fun (being on the same team with him), but
Greg has come into his own, he has become a leader. He’s excited
about his gymnastics, and he has also grown as a person."
Greg Umphrey progressed steadily throughout his five years. When
he came in as a freshman in the fall of 1990, Umphrey competed on
only two apparati, but became a strong all-arounder despite many
setbacks. Umphrey suffered numerous injuries, including a shoulder
injury in his sophomore year that required surgery.
However, Umphrey recovered from his injuries and in his fourth
year became a consistent all-arounder for the Bruins. He won
All-American honors for his second place finish on the floor
exercise in the 1994 NCAA championships, and his consistency and
reliability are two reasons that Umphrey was named co-MVP last
year.
"Greg, when he was a freshman, was basically a specialist
because he only competed on pommel horse and occasionally rings,"
UCLA head coach Art Shurlock said. "Four years later, he was
competing all-around for us. He was our most consistent gymnast. He
grew a lot gymnastics wise. He was a stabilizing force on the
team."
Umphrey also developed personally. He learned many lessons in
the gym  from coaches and teammates  that he can apply
to real life.
"I gained a lot of knowledge from the coaches and stuff,"
Umphrey said. "They give you a new insight on a certain way to do
something, not only in the gym, but in life in general. I’ve
learned a lot from working with teammates, working better together
for that common goal, learning to have fun and relax in pressure
situations."
Through his experience, Umphrey has emerged as a team leader. As
the oldest and longest member of the team, he is a source of
guidance for many of the newer team members.
"I guess I have more experience," Umphrey said. "So the guys can
definitely look up to me for any type of help. I am honored to help
them, it is something that I can give back."
Umphrey is also a source of inspiration to his his
teammates.
"(Greg) is soft-spoken," gymnast Steve McCain said. "He doesn’t
like to express a lot of his opinions, but through his gymnastics
he shows a leadership. When he gets up there, there is nothing that
is going to break him. It is awesome to watch. It gives you
inspiration and makes you want to do the same thing."
Umphrey, who found a way to balance academics and a demanding
athletic schedule, is also an academic inspiration.
"Basically you are losing 24 hours a week of time that you can
study because of practice," Umphrey said. "You end up studying late
at night, but you get used to it. You learn ways to
compensate."
Umphrey plans to train at UCLA even after his Bruin career is
over. He plans to compete in the nationals and hopes to make the
national team. Nevertheless, he plans to retire in 1996 and pursue
other endeavors, such as medical school. Umphrey, a microbiology
major graduating next year, is interested in sports medicine
because of his many personal experiences with sports related
injuries.
Until then, there is the club national championships to compete
in. Umphrey is aware that this will be the last meet of his UCLA
career and he plans to enjoy it.
"I’m just going out to have fun," Umphrey said. "Hopefully
things will come through."
Overall, Umphrey feels that his experience has been enjoyable,
memorable and filled with many lessons that he can apply later on
in life.
"It will be an experience that I can take with me for the rest
of my life," Umphrey said. "It is something that I can reflect on
and apply to other aspects of my life.
"Gymnastics is total dedication, commitment, learning to have
fun and learning to get out of bad situations, which is the same
thing that I am going to encounter later on in life. It’s a great
stepping stone."