UMass presence felt at Sydney Olympics

Chronicle staff

UMass Olympic Coverage (www.umass.edu/olympics)

n water, on land and even in the air, the University is well-represented at the Sydney Olympic games, which conclude this weekend. Athletes and support staff who are alumni or employees of the campus had a part in two gold and three bronze medals at the end of Day 12 of the games on Sept. 27.

     Assistant softball coach Danielle Henderson, '99, shared in the gold medal glory as the U.S. softball team made a tremendous comeback to win the title. Henderson saw limited action in the series, hurling five innings in a preliminary round win over Cuba.

     Former UMass women's soccer goalkeeper and '96 Olympic gold medalist Briana Scurry is a sure bet to bring home another medal, even as a bench player. The U.S. women's team was scheduled to face Norway in the final on Wednesday. A win secures a gold medal finish and a loss means silver.

     UMass women's crew head coach Jim Dietz coached Sarah Garner and Christine Collins to a bronze medal in the women's lightweight double sculls on Sept. 24.

     Alumna Sarah Jones, '97, rowed in the seventh position of the women's eight with coxswain team for the United States. The Americans finished 6th in the finals. Dietz was a technical consultant to the team's coach. He also provided technical expertise to the coxless pair bronze medalists Karen Kraft and Melissa Ryan.

     Another Olympic rowing connection is former student Sarah Lauritzen, who rowed in the fourth position in the women's quadruple sculls for Denmark. The Danes finished 6th in the finals.

     David Hearn, '82, finished 12th in the men's canoe singles slalom (C1) on Sept. 18.
Representing Puerto Rico, Angelique Rodriguez, '97, finished 18th in the women's 10-meter platform diving semifinal on Sept. 24. She then finished 27th in the women's 3-meter springboard preliminary competition on Sept. 27.

     Great Britain's women's field hockey team, which includes goalkeeper Hilary Rose, '97, finished in 8th place.

     The American equestrian effort included four participants with University ties.

     With the highest individual score among U.S. participants in the equestrian dressage grand prix, former staffer Sue Blinks, riding Flim Flam, led the U.S. team to a bronze medal Sept. 26-27. She was in 12th position going into the individual dressage grand prix special. Should she remain among the top 15 scorers, she will advance to Saturday's freestyle round from which individual medals will be awarded. Blinks is a for-mer director of the Riding Program in Veterinary and Animal Sciences.

     Robert Costello, '88, riding Chevalier in the individual three-day event, finished 8th in jumping Sept. 22, 6th in cross country Sept. 21, and 9th in dressage Sept. 20.
Behind the scenes, two alumni played a key role in the gold medal win of U.S.

     Equestrian David O'Connor in the individual three-day event.

     According to Jerry Schurink, director of the Riding Program in Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 1997 graduate Colleen Heyduk and Nicole Beaucheme, '98, are the head grooms caring for the mounts ridden by O'Connor and his wife, Karen.

     Speaking to O'Connor after his gold medal win, Schurink said the horseman particularly credited Heyduk with helping rehabilitate his horse after an injury about 10 days before the competition.

The O'Connors also snared a bronze medal from the team competition.

Related Web site:

• UMass Olympians