By Arlie Rahn
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 24, 1998

Grace Under Fire

Some athletes have the rare ability to turn it up a notch when it counts. Whether it's hitting a game-winning free throw, or sticking the dismount in the final gymnastics event, these athletes shine when the pressure is on.

One such athlete is UA freshman gymnast Kara Fry.

In her first scheduled all around performance against No.6 UCLA Jan. 23, Fry turned heads as she paced the Wildcats with a 38.850.

"She really gets it going for the meets," UA head coach Jim Gault said. "She is really a 'gamer.' I wish I could bottle up her energy and give it to everyone."

This "energy" was most visible when she traveled to Athens, Ga., and performed in front of her family and friends. Against top-ranked Georgia, Fry shined, setting a career mark with a 38.950 in the all around.

"I really enjoyed competing in Georgia. It was nice to have some familiar people there cheering for me," Fry said. "When you see a big crowd and hear the cheers, it pumps you up to go out and do a great job."

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Fry always desired to come out West to attend college. And after seeing fellow East Coast gymnasts Kristin McDermott and Maureen Kealey excel at Arizona, the Nazareth, Pa., native decided to become a Wildcat.

"It was really encouraging for me to see two other girls from Pennsylvania doing well out here. I really felt like joining this team would be like entering a family," Fry said. "That added to the great weather made Arizona a great choice for me."

And while El Niño has dampened the weather during Fry's first season, the family aspect has held true. Arizona's team atmosphere has been a welcome change from the lonely club competitions.

"Performing in club was so cutthroat. Everyone was expected to perform skills as a group, no matter what their capabilities are," Fry said. "Here everyone is so supportive and the coaches know what you can do individually and they build on that."

Even though she enjoys collegiate competition more, Fry said her club experience at Parkettes National Gymnastics Training Center in Allentown, Pa., was a good one. The 5-foot-5 gymnast said club performances eventually allowed her to compete in the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival alongside McDermott. Fry earned national attention with her sixth place finish in the all around.

"That was a lot of fun," Fry said. "It was my first experience with team gymnastics and it really helped my confidence to go out and perform well."

In just her first season at UA, Fry has progressed from competing in just one or two events to consistently leading Arizona in scoring in the all around.

"When she first started to perform for us, she had sea legs. She wasn't very consistent," Gault said. "But since she has entered the all around, it has been like night and day with her. She is much more confident and has continued to improve her skills."

Fry's transformation from role player to team leader has also won over the support of her teammates.

"When Kara goes out to perform, you know she will do a great job," senior Tenli Poggemeyer said. "She has really done a great job when we needed her. Especially with all of the injuries we've had."

While Fry has had some success, she realizes she still needs to continue to improve in practice. And practice has not come easy for Fry.

"The individual workouts are pretty hard for me," Fry said. "But I know that I have to keep working on things and have to keep up my concentration."

Meanwhile, Fry has made great strides in her efforts on the beam. In two of Arizona's most important meets this season, against Georgia and No. 17 Washington, Fry has finished with scores over 9.80 on the beam.

"Kara has really shown signs of improvement on the beam and floor," UA assistant coach Bill Ryden said. "She has been competing extremely well of late."

Fry, however, is still not satisfied with her vault, which is the only event not scored from a 10. But overall, she would not trade her start at Arizona for anything.

"I've been really happy with this season so far," Fry said. " I am hoping to eventually make All American, but I know that will come with time."

Fry will next feature her talents in McKale Center when the Wildcats return home to face Minnesota March 6.

Fryfile

UA freshman Kara Fry has performed beyond expectations in Arizona's big meets. The following is a look at her all around performances against four of the nation's top teams, scores are out of a total of 40 points:

Jan. 23 against No. 6 UCLA		38.850
Jan. 25 against No. 1 Georgia 	        38.950
Feb. 6 	against No. 17 Washington	38.925
Feb. 13 against No. 11 Oregon State	38.425