As expected, Huskie Athletic Director Gerald O’Dell recommended to the Athletic Board Wednesday that men’s gymnastics be eliminated for lack of support and fiscal responsibility.

“Regardless of emotion or sentimentality, we need to deal with the facts,” O’Dell said.

The most telling facts O’Dell and Associate Athletic Director Cary Groth presented in support of the decision were the paltry high school and college gymnastic participation numbers.

Fifty-eight of 784 Illinois high schools had boy’s gymnastics in 89-90, down from 61 in 1988, figures which are similar nationally.

“That’s important because we’re dealing with a dwindling pool,” O’Dell said. “It limits recruiting in the state of Illinois, regionally and nationally.” O’Dell added the decrease in interest is not consistent with one of the athletic department’s missions: being responsive to the population NIU serves.

Former men’s gymnastics coach Chuck Ehrlich responded that all 58 boys’ programs are in the northern 23 counties of Illinois, specifically Chicagoland. Ehrlich, who coached 16 All-Americas in his 17 years, mostly Illinois products, said though there had been a period of lower quality Illinois high school gymnasts, he had been courting two when he resigned.

Also brought up by Ehrlich was the increase in gymnastics club membership. The clubs, under the supervision of the United States Gymnastics Federation, have seen their competitive membership rise from 35,314 in 1984 to 58,142 in 1989, said a USGF official.

Participation at the college level is hard hit as well, declining 46 percent while NCAA membership has increased 16 percent.

Baseball, meanwhile, is one of the fastest growing sports, being installed at 268 of 293 Division I schools and the Association of Mid-Continent Universities, which NIU will be in in 1992, is vying for an automatic bid in the NCAA baseball tournament.

“If we added baseball without cutting gymnastics, it would mean an additional $110,000, (the gymnastics budget, a figure Ehrlich said is inflated)” O’Dell said. To comply with Title IX, a federal regulation requiring equal opportunity in college sports programs, the alternative would be the addition of a women’s sport and the money that would entail, O’Dell said.

“I have no answers where those dollars come from,” O’Dell said, adding that only five private donations have come men’s gymnastics’ way compared to the 14 given to wrestling, which along with swimming, was considered for elimination as well.

Gymnasts Eric Solky and Carlos Fulcher, told of the decision with the rest of the team Tuesday night, the eve of last night’s meet against Ohio State, said any ideas they have for fund-raising usually don’t comply with administration rules and said they didn’t know who the five donors were, but knew people who would donate if asked.

The frustrated gymnasts have been placated by O’Dell and Groth, who have offered every assistance in any transfer process, which Solky insisted wasn’t enough given the academic problems that come with transfer.

“Everyone that came here came for a four-year committment,” Solky said. “They came here for two reasons, not just one.”

The recommendation will be voted on March 7.