Chmelka ‘Helpless’ But Sympathetic During Pandemic, And For Good Reason

Like many of us a few weeks ago, Chuck Chmelka felt uncertain about what threats the COVID-19 coronavirus really imposed, somewhat skeptical of the precautionary measures health experts advised.
 
Still, he heeded the warnings and didn’t need long to fully comprehend the reasoning behind them. That’s what happens when people you know have been infected with a virus that’s caused a global pandemic.
 
“It does hit home more,” said Chmelka, the Nebraska men’s gymnastics coach. “Before I knew these guys had it, part of me was like, ‘Do I really have to do this, do I really have to do that?’ “
 
Then Chmelka learned two people involved with collegiate gymnastics – both judges, one in Minnesota, one in Florida – had tested positive for COVID-19.
 
“It makes you realize you’re not invincible,” Chmelka said. “I remember a lot of my friends saying, ‘Eh, we’re not going to get it here in Nebraska.’ And I was like, ‘Baloney.’ “
 
The day the NCAA canceled the remainder of winter and springs sports competition, Chmelka didn’t know of the aforementioned diagnoses. So his thoughts at the time centered on his team, his gymnasts.
 
“It was just a mess of emotion,” Chmelka said. “A lot of anger, some denial. Now, this thing is bigger than sport, obviously. You get it now, but man, when it hit, it was thrown on you from so many angles.”
 
The news hit hardest for Jake Bonnay, the only senior on the Nebraska roster, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think.
 
Bonnay, from Burlington, Ontario, Canada, had already been through the tearful, emotional end of his season because of a fractured ankle in practice only a couple of weeks earlier. He’d come to terms with his personal fate.
 
But now Bonnay relived all of those emotions because of his team.
 
“It was little bit harder to hear the news for the rest of the team,” Bonnay said. “The team, we were looking really good.”
 
Chmelka agreed, saying Nebraska, ranked No. 4 nationally in the last poll, was in a very good place.
 
“Could’ve done some really good things at the end of the year,” Chmelka said. “We were healthier than we’ve ever been, on the right track. Everybody was looking pretty darned good.
 
“And then how fast it all feel. This all snowballed within two days.”

 

Nebraska was within an hour of boarding a bus for Minneapolis and a meet with Minnesota and Ohio State when Chmelka received word the meet had been canceled. By the next day, the season had been canceled, and eventually gymnasts were prohibited from practicing in their schools’ facilities – which, for these Huskers, meant staring at their just-christened Francis Allen Training Complex from the outside.

 

“It’s just so weird,” Chmelka said.

 

Bonnay’s frustration and devastation stemmed partly from the fact he was having his best season yet. He’d won three event titles, including two on floor exercise, and had been named the NCAA Specialist of the Week after what turned out to be his final meet.

 

“I was getting big scores. I didn’t fall in any of my routines,” Bonnay said. “I was feeling very confident in my gymnastics, which really isn’t a common thing for me. And I was trying to be even better in postseason; like, I was trying not to peak too early.

 

“It kinda sucks that all this happened, but I gotta believe everything happens for a reason.”

 

Not all may be lost for Bonnay, who may have an opportunity for a medical redshirt and another season of competition. He’s not certain of details, but he’s holding out some hope.

 

“Because I’m the only senior, to have the same team two years in a row and then get our good freshman class coming in, we could do some really, really good things,” Bonnay said. “Like even bigger than what we were planning on doing this year.”

 

Worst-case scenario, even if Bonnay’s career is complete, he will remain in Lincoln next season and be with the team as he trains for a spot on the Canadian national team for the 2021 Olympics.

 

That at least would give Bonnay a chance to enjoy the Huskers’ new practice gym, which is where Chmelka spends most of this time these days, either alone, or with assistant coach John Robinson. While most of the new equipment has been installed, much remains to be moved from the old gym to the new one.

 

Otherwise, Chmelka emails his gymnasts weekly, pleading with them to stay safe and healthy while also working to finish the semester strong academically. Most of his student-athletes remain at home, with Monday being the first day of on-line classes.

 

“You’re so helpless as a coach right now. You’re at the mercy of everything,” Chmelka said. “I have no control over anything. Nothing. The only recruiting we can do is just emails.

“It’s like I’m retired almost and I don’t want to be. I’ve watched more movies than I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve been fixing stuff at home. It’s weird, man.”

 

Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.