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When WCI Vikings‘ gymnasts join the Central Western Ontario contingent for the allâ€"Ontario high school meet this Friday and Saturday in Scarborough it will be last time four of them compete before graduating. Seniors Val Smith, Jennifer lon and Mario Amy are all moving on for post secondary education and intermediâ€" ate Christy Mateyk is doing likewise. All four qualified to compete in Scarborough through their efforts at the Central Western Ontario meet Thursday at the Doon Campus of Conestoga College and coach Kaarina Tulisalo hopes they stay with gymnastics aithough she is uncertain in what capacity they will be able to do so. although she is uncertain in what capacity they will be Smith finished second in three events and won on floor able to do so. with 9.05 to finish first with an overall 27.55 ahead of Smith, the senior overall winner on Thursday, and lon _ second place lon (26.65) and third place Sandy Read have expressed interest in going to University of ~(26.45). Waterioo, which no longer has a gymnastics program. Amy was a qualifier on floor, uneven bars and vault Mateyk will go to Conestoga College and Amy, a level _ with second, third and fourth place finishes, respectiveâ€" Richard O‘Brien gender barrier has lonely moments Breaking hockey‘s Vikings‘ gymnasts class of ‘87 one judge, appears headed for York University, which does have a program . *‘*So many continue their involvement in some capacity," said Tulisalo. ‘"Kevin Eby was a student at WCI and now runs nationals and is very involved. A number of (graduates) are judges and it‘s very rewarding to see them continue their interest in gymnasâ€" "It was a very emotional meet simply because of the four kids who are graduating and because it was an allâ€"Ontario qualifier. We‘ve done so well all year, then we get to the second last meet and think, ‘can we do it Richard O‘Brien Chromicle Staft For girls who would break the gender barrier in hockey the first thing to deal with is the loneliness of the dressing room . Before they take to the ice to prove they can skate with the boys, they have to stare at four blank walls while in another rvom their teammates get an inspiring preâ€"game chatter going. But those who‘ve done so in Waterioo Minor Hockey‘s bantam house league â€"â€" Julie Taylor of the Nordiques, Siskins‘ Jane Reeves and Oilers‘ Wendy Hearn â€"â€" obviously have dealt with that problem along with others while adapting to what has traditionally been a boys game. Mearn is considered a good defenceman. Taylor was named best sportsman on her team at season‘s end and Reeve was most valuable player for Sisâ€" "It‘s lonely in a me room,‘" said Reeve. ‘"Sometimes 1 ask a to come and talk to me ly. lon was third on floor and Read won on bars, scoring 9.10. Mateyk qualified on intermediate bars by winning with an outstanding 9.30. Kathy Yang, another Viking intermediate, was third on vault at 9.10. The Woodley sisters placed oneâ€"two overall with Hannah scoring 26.75 to Vivian‘s 25.25. â€" Robyn Jailbert continued her brillance in Club ‘A‘ competition, winning all events for an overall 38.60. She scored 9.75 on bars and her lowest score was an enviable 9.50 on floor, a halfâ€"point higher than her nearest rival. fourth overall. Heather Hoilden placed third in Club °C .‘ Hannah Woodiey won on junior bars (9.20) and floor (8.75) while placing second on vault and her sister, Vivian, was second on floor and third on bars. Penny McDonald won on beam (8.70) and also qualified on floor with a fourth place finish. Jill Gelinas finished third in Club ‘A.‘ In Club *B,‘ Mandy White had two second place finishes to end up so they‘d never play hockey again." But that was before he saw her play havlnf Taylor one his team was a negative one "I‘ll be honest." he said. "I wanted to teach th« ‘‘In the first year 1 overheard the coach say ‘*We‘ve got a girl on the team,‘ and it was quiet," said Reeve. ""I think they were shocked. They were probably thinking, ‘What‘s she like? *‘ Mark Wendling, who coâ€"coaches Nordiques along with his father Herb, admits his initial reaction to Taylor agrees: "It‘s quiet. In ringette you get yourself hyper for the game. In hockey you can‘t get psyched up for the game very well." The girls join the team in the dressing room for preâ€"game pep talks and they‘re back for another talk after the game before everybody heads for the because it‘s boring.‘‘ But if it takes them longer to feel like part of the team they know they‘ve earned acceptance. "I‘ll be honest," he said. "I wanted to teach them (Continued on page 36)