Joan Moore Rice Age: 20 Height: 5'4" Weight: 106 Ibs. Joan began gymnastics in Philade lphia in
1961 at the age of seven. She graduated from Philadelphia High School for girls and attended Temple University for a year. She has been a m ember of the U.S. Nat ional Team since 1970. At the World Championships that year in Ljublj ana , Yugos lavia, she tied w ith Ade le Gleaves for thirty-third p lace. Joan p laced twent y-e ighth on beam and thirtysecond in floor exericse. In 1971, she was a member of a team sent by the State Department on a European Tour and th en took first pla ce all around, in floor exercise, and on balance beam in th e French In v itational Meet at Antibes .1 n the USGF Elite Nationals . she to o k first place all around, includin g first in floor
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exercise, uneven bars, and va ult; and second on ba lance beam. In 1972, she was again first in the USGF Elite Nat iona ls, this time tied for fir st with Cathy Rigby, and was , of course, a member of the U.S. Ol ympic Team. At Mun ich , she placed twentyfirst all around. H er best event was floor exercise, in w hich she placed twelfth. In 1972, Joan won the South Africa Cup, placing first in floor , beam, and va ult; and she placed-fourth all around in the Chunichi Cup, behind Liudmila Tourishcheva, Karin Janz, and Nina Dronova. And in 1972, she married Bob Rice. . 1973 saw Joan tak e her third consecutive win in the USGF Elite Nationals. She took first in floor exercise, secon d in va ult, and third in bars and beam. She took second p lace in the meet with Hungary at Penn State. In 1974, Joan took fifth p lacei n the USGF Elite Qualifi ca tion Meet at the University of
Delaware, Newark, but took first place (for the fourth stra ight time) in the USGF Elite Nationals at Southern Illino is University, Carbonda le. At the Nationals, Joan won balance beam and floor exercise. She is current ly ranked number two in the Golden Dozen American Women Gymnasts. Joan ' s other interests include dance, tennis, and swimming. In hi gh school she competed for the swimmin g and di ving team, and at co ll ege she majored in dance. She has three brothers and three sisters. One of her sisters started her in gymnastics but later retired from the sport. She and Bob plan to buy a school in Minneapolis. After the World Championships, she plans to retire and to devote her time to coaching the " Kegs " Gym Club in Minnesota along with her husband Bob.
GYMNAST Oct. '74