Titans Attempting to Save Two Teams : Fullerton: Fencing and men’s gymnastics could stay alive in face of budget cuts through efforts by campus and community.

The Cal State Fullerton fencing and men’s gymnastics teams, clinging to life in the face of a proposed budget cut that would eliminate the programs, have a little more hope to hold on to.

The school announced Monday that a coordinated effort by the campus and the community has been launched to save the programs, which the Athletics Council recently recommended be dropped to balance the 1990-91 athletic budget.

The campus campaign consists of efforts to pass a referendum that would increase the Instructionally Related Activity Fee paid each semester by all students. Students will vote on April 26-27 whether to raise the fee from $10 to $15 a semester.

If the referendum passes, an additional $240,000 would be generated annually for the IRA fund, which supplements co-curricular activities such as athletics, forensics and the student newspaper.

Fullerton Athletic Director Ed Carroll said the department would request a portion of those funds for gymnastics and fencing. Fullerton President Jewel Plummer Cobb makes the final decision on how IRA funds are allotted.

The community effort to save the programs includes solicitation of several corporate donors and a Sports Save-a-Thon, a fund-raiser scheduled for May 17-19 at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel. According to Carroll, an additional $158,000 is needed annually to fund men’s gymnastics and men’s and women’s fencing.

“We very much want to save these outstanding programs,” Cobb said in a statement issued by the school. “In the coming weeks, I will devote my serious and undivided attention to the athletics budget situation and strategies for keeping the programs in place.”

Cobb has set a May 21 deadline to raise the funds and will make a decision then regarding the future of the programs.

Dick Wolfe, men’s gymnastics coach, was encouraged by the school’s efforts, but the May 21 deadline has caused a new set of problems. Wolfe had expected a final decision from Cobb this week and already had begun making contingency plans for his gymnasts should the program be cut. Nine of his 10 team members are underclassmen.

Now, the delay has forced him to put off those efforts, and Wolfe fears May 21 might be too late for his gymnasts to secure scholarships at other schools.

“It’s already late now,” he said.

Wolfe, in his 22nd year as gymnastics coach, wasn’t overly excited by the news.

“I hope it works, but at the same time, there’s nothing concrete for me or my athletes,” he said. “I’m not happy or unhappy. I’ve been on a roller-coaster ride, and I try not to get too caught up with things.”

The men’s gymnastics team finished sixth in the recent NCAA Western Regional and will be sending two athletes, Bill Barham and Eli Rodriguez, to this weekend’s NCAA championships at Minneapolis. The Titans won College Division national championships in 1971, 1972 and 1974.

The women’s fencing team won a national title in 1973. Both the men’s and women’s teams are coached by Heizaburo Okawa, who was a member of Japan’s Olympic team in 1960, 1964 and 1968.

“Right now, I feel much better about the situation, because earlier it seemed like we had no chance,” Okawa said. “This is a good indication that they’re willing to save the program.”

Carroll, the Athletics Council chairman, said he is cautiously optimistic the department will reach its goal.

“We’re committed to finding a way to make it happen,” Carroll said. “We have a lot of irons in the fire and hope a combination of these (fund-raising efforts) will make it possible.”