Ideally, college sports may not be best exemplified by the exploits of the student-giants running around on the gridiron and hardwood courts. The dedication and balance between academics and athletics is often best illustrated by the participants in the “minor” sports.

NIU women’s gymnastics coach Bobbie Cesarek and her squad are a case in point. Although you won’t see Cesarek and her team featured on ESPN or Sports Illustrated, the Huskies still approach their task with enthusiasm. That enthusiasm comes from the top. Cesarek has been a coach at NIU longer than anyone except men’s golf coach Jack Phaenis, but is still eager to promote gymnastics and the Huskies.

Cesarek and her Huskies will be competing this Saturday at 1:00 in Chick Evans Field House against UIC and Winona State.

Cesarek first became involved in gymnastics at a time when women’s athletics took a distant backseat to men’s sports. “I started dancing when I was real young, which got me involved in the artistic aspect of gymnastics. I really always wanted to do it in high school but unfortunately in my era we didn’t have the opportunity to participate in athletics as the young ladies do today.

“I really didn’t start competing in gymnastics until I was in college.” Cesarek attended Plymouth State in New Hampshire and worked at the states’ first gymnastics camp. After a stint as a coach at Colorado State, Cesarek came to NIU as a combination gymnastics coach, physical education instructer and golf coach in 1977.

Cesarek’s 12th NIU gymnastics team has built a 5-3 record despite some early season injuries. “We’re doing pretty well but unfortunately we had a couple of young ladies get injured at the beginning of the year which put us a little short as far as depth. We have some very talented individuals on the team that I’m really excited about.

“Vicky Thimgan has really taken a liking to collegiate gymnastics and is doing a great job for us. Coming back from a year off due to a stress-fracture is senior co-captain Martha Unger. Martha is doing a great job of working herself back with each meet.

“Cindy Hemstad is doing well on the floor and is starting to pick up in other events. Laurie Vitallo has really taken the bull by the horns on floor exercise and tied our floor exercise record last week.”

Cesarek gives credit to her entire squad but admits injuries have hampered the team. “The number of kids competing for us is relatively small because of the injuries we had at the beginning of the year.

“Balance beam and floor exercise are by far our strengths and vaulting and uneven bars are by far our weakness. (That’s) something we’re working on.”

The Huskies are dominated by under-classmen, which is not unusual in collegiate gymnastics. “Gymnastics is very different from football and basketball where the kids come in not having as much talent and learning in college. If you look at the Olympics the age level of the kids competing is 14, 15, 16. You’ll find that with gymnastics your better athletes will usually be freshman and sophomores.”

Because of the impact freshman can have on a program, recruiting gains added importance. “About 65 to 70 percent of my coaching is recruiting. If you get your better athletes coming in the door as freshman you’ll have a better team.

“Each year we seem to be making strides, but so does everybody else so I don’t know if we’re fighting a losing cause or not but we’re certainly going to keep working.”

The goal of the Huskies is to reach the NCAA Regional Championships as a team. Individually, Cesarek sees two potential qualifiers for the NCAA Championships from this year’s squad. “Thimgan looks like a very good candidate. Martha Unger went her freshman and sophomore years and she wants to go back and have some company.”