When The Junior Champion Becomes A Senior

I was watching the 2002 US National Championships and the spotlight was on, among others, Kristal Uzelac, the three time Junior National Champion.  At her first senior National Championships, Kristal had broken her toe prior to the competition during a training session, which caused her to scratch all but bars on night two.  Al Trautwig then mentioned how large of a adjustment it was to match the success as a junior when you transition into senior competition.  I decided to take a look at previous Junior National Champions, and weigh their success in their first year as a senior.

2012 Junior Champion- Lexie Priessman

USAGym   

After a dominating win at the 2012 Junior National Championships, there were high hopes for Lexie Priessman from Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy.  Priessman had been one to watch since 2010, when she won the inaugural Nastia Liukin SuperGirl Cup, placed 12th at the 2010 National Championships and improved to 4th in 2011.  After beating Maddie Desch by .55 at Nationals, Priessman started off 2013 with strong showings at the Trophy of Jesolo in Italy, Germany-Romania-USA Tri-Meet, and the Secret US Classic, where she competed well on all events but beam, where she scratched.  Much was expected of Priessman going into the 2013 P&G National Championships, where she withdrew with a sprained Achilles Tendon.  Priessman has since has surgery and looking forward to compete in 2014.

2006 Junior Champion- Shawn Johnson

Amy Van Deusen

In 2006, after placing 10th a year prior in 2005, Shawn Johnson started off strong at the 2006 Junior Pan-American Championships, before going on to dominate the 2006 Junior National Championships, where she beat Bianca Flohr by 4.15.  Johnson followed her success in St. Paul, Minnesota with a great start 2007 with a win over future Olympic All Around Champion Nastia Liukin in Jacksonville, Florida, and followed that with an All Around, Bars, and Beam win, at the 2007 Pan-American Championships.  En route to becoming the 2007 World Team, All Around, and Floor Champion, Johnson won her first senior US Title with a 3.45 point win over Shayla Worley.  In 2008, Johnson once again became the National and Olympic Trial Champion.  Once in Beijing, Johnson won the Team, All Around, and Floor Silver, and Beam Olympic Champion.

2005 Junior Champion- Natasha Kelley

GymMedia

After a close victory over Bianca Flohr in 2005, Natasha Kelley stepped up to the plate in 2006 as a senior and won the 2006 US Classic before finishing just 5 tenths behind Future Olympic Champion Nastia Liukin.  As a member of the 2006 World Championship Team in Aarhus, Denmark, Kelley placed 11th in Qualifications into the All Around Final, but was unable to advance to the final due to the two-per-country rule.  In Team Finals, Kelley was not used on any events as the United States won the Team Silver Medal.  Kelley started off 2007 with a second place finish at the Tyson American Cup behind Shawn Johnson and the preceded to place 10th at 2007 Visa National Championships.  After sustaining injuries at 2007 National Championships, Kelley retired from elite competition and went on to help Oklahoma place Second at NCAAs in 2010 and Third in 2011, as well as placing Fourth in 2011 before retiring prior to the 2012 season due to a torn Achilles.

2002 Junior Champion- Carly Patterson 

angelfire.com

In 2002, 14 year old Carly Patterson edged out teammate Hollie Vise by just over five tenths to win her only Junior National Championship.  Patterson started 2003with a big win at the Tyson American Cup and preceded to place second behind Chellsie Memmel at the Pacific Challenge.  Patterson was forced to withdraw from Visa Championships with an elbow injury, but recovered in time to lead Team USA to the first World Team title in United States Gymnastics History, as well as finishing with the Silver Medal in the All Around Final, behind Svetlana Khorkina.  Starting off 2004, Patterson traveled to New York and won her second and final American Cup, which led to a second place at the Pacific Alliance Championships.  At Visa Championships, Patterson shared the top spot with Courtney Kupets, and placed third at Olympic Trials.  Once in Athens, Patterson helped Team USA to a Silver Medal finish, as well as win the Olympic All Around Gold Medal, and a silver on the Balance Beam.  Soon after, Patterson retired from gymnastics.

International Gymnast

2001 Junior Champion- Kristal Uzelac

 After winning the final of her three Junior Championships, Kristal Uzelac appeared to be a rising star to watch.  At the beginning of 2002, Uzelac placed third all around and first on vault at the Pacific Alliance Championships, and seemed to be a contender for the Visa Championships in August. After fracturing a toe during practice, Uzelac had a rough meet day 1, and withdrew from all events but Beam on Day 2.  After retiring from Elite Gymnastics, Uzelac competed for Penn State University from 2004-2005 and won the Big 10 Uneven Bars and Beam Championships before retiring from gymnastics all together. 

Interview with Elizabeth Price

Elizabeth Price from Parkettes found herself an Alternate to the United States Olympic Team in 2012 in her first her as a senior.  After a dominating post-Olympic World Cup meets, Price with-drew from the American Cup due to a hip injury which she rested for eight months before competing two events at the P&G U.S. National Championships and being named as an alternate to the US World team and winning the Stuttgart World Cup while taking the Silver at the Glasgow World Cup.

Gymnastike

1.  When did you realize that you had the potential to compete as an elite gymnast?
I'd have to say I realized that I could be an elite in 2010 when I made my first National Team.  Before that I never really knew how good I was compared to other elite girls, so I wasn't totally confident that I'd be able to be a good competitor at the elite level.
2. Your gym has produced several National Champions and Olympians.  Is there a lot of pressure on you and other Parkettes Gymnast to carry on the tradition of excellence?
The only pressure I think the girls feel to achieve excellence is the pressure they put on themselves.  I think they look at Parkettes more as a place where they can become excellent if they want to, but noone is going to make them do something they don't want to do.
3. What expectations did you have for yourself going into 2012?
Going into 2012, the only expectations I had were to make the National Team again and to hit all of my routines.

Zimbio

4. What was your experience at 2012 Olympic Trials like?
To me, Trials felt a lot like a second Championships, only that meet was selecting the Olympic Team, not the National Team.  There was a little more pressure, but otherwise, it wasn't much different.  
5. You made it to London as an Alternate.  Was it like having the Olympic Experience as an alternate?
It was a great experience being an alternate for London.  I wish I would've had the chance to compete, but being able to go to the Olympics, as a part of Team USA definitely made the whole thing worth it.
6. You won the Stuttgart and Glasgow World Cups at the end of 2012.  How did that help you going into 2013?
Winning both World Cup meets in 2012 definitely let me know what to expect this year in terms of what the meets would be like.  Not only did it give me more confidence for competing internationally, it also helped me in knowing how I'd have to adjust to the different equipment and time zones without much trouble.
7. Can you talk about your injury that has effected you for the majority of 2013?
My hip injuries were a major setback in 2013.  I lost about 6 months worth of training, so I wasn't as ready as I would've liked to be at the meets over the summer.

Lehigh Valley Live

8. What advice can you give to young gymnasts struggling with injuries?
For young gymnasts struggling with injuries, I'd tell them not to just give up.  I've had several major injuries and not once did I ever think that I'd have to go back to a lower level and certainly never have to stop gymnastics all together.
9. You made an impressive comeback at the 2013 National Championships on 2 events.  How did you decide which events to do?
 I decided to do bars and vault at P&Gs because those two events were in pretty good shape to compete, whereas I still hadn't had much training with some of my floor and beam skills.
10. How long were you training your Amanar before you competed it at the 2013 Glasgow World Cup?
 I was probably training my 2 1/2 vault for three months before I competed it in Glasgow.
11. Can you share some upgrades for 2014?
 Even though nothing is certain, I've been training a full-twisting double layout on floor, a half-on entry vault in preparation for a second vault, and an uprise stalder-full out of my Maloney on bars instead of the free-hip I've been competing.

Lehigh Valley Live

12. At the 2013 National Championships you were joined with young talents Christina Desiderio and Molly Frack.  What's it like to train with other elites?
 It's great training with other elites. We all know what each other are going through and we have a lot of the same goals, which makes it easy to stay motivated. It's also nice training with the younger elites because I've already been through what they're going through, so I can help them get through tough times and let them know what to expect. That way they're ready for everything that gets thrown their way.
13. You recently signed your NLI to Stanford.  How did you decide where to go and will you be deferring?
 Stanford was one of my top choices for college ever since I started looking at schools, and I knew gymnasts that went there who told me great things about the school, so I knew a lot about Stanford even before I went to visit. I decided to go there because I felt that Stanford is a great academic institution with a great gymnastics team. I haven't decided yet whether or not I'm going to defer until 2015, but I still have time to think about it and make that decision later.
14. What are your goals for 2014?   

 My goals for 2014 are to compete in more international meets, including another World Cup meet, so I can have a chance to bring home more medals for team USA.

Lehigh Valley Live

Interview with Alyssa Pritchett

Alyssa Pritchett, the former standout star from UCLA has been busy the past couple of months since her college career ended in April.  The walk-on who became a key player as an upperclassmen, has been training with the hopes of qualifying as elite for the first time.  I got the opportunity to talk to Alyssa about her past at Wildfire Gymnastics in Tustin, California, and UCLA, and her current training at Waller's GymJam Academy in Santa Clarita, California.

Daily Bruin

1. You walked onto the UCLA Gymnastics Team. Could you talk about how that differs from being recruited and the walk-on process.

Actually, I was a recruited walk-on. My junior year of high school Miss Val called up my gym and asked to meet with me. At the meeting she offered me a position on the team. I knew going in that there was not a scholarship position available, but UCLA was always my dream school, so giving up scholarship opportunities elsewhere was worth it. As far as the entry process, I was treated the same as any other scholarship athlete. My promised position on the team got me into UCLA (although I did have great academic standing as well), and I received all the same medical benefits as well as free gear, priority enrollment, free tutoring, etc. The only obvious difference between a recruited walk-on and a scholarship athlete is that I relied on student grants and loans to pay for school. 

2. You were apart of the team in 2010 when UCLA won the National Title. Was there anything different in the atmosphere leading up to the Championships? What was the team dynamic like leading up to and after Championships?

Our 2010 team was remarkable in so many ways. I knew we were going to win that year and not because we had the most talent because we definitely didn't. But we had such a strong team bond and so much heart. We also had some amazing upperclassmen who really led the team to that National Championship, such as Brittani McCullough, Anna Li, Niki Tom, Mizuki Sato, and the rest of the juniors and seniors. After not making super six the previous year due to a tie-breaker we lost to Utah, we were HUNGRY to win the next year. It's the hard work, passion, and sacrifice each teammate brought that year that allowed us to overcome our "lack of talent" with heart. After we won, it was a HUGE confidence burst for our team. That year molded my class to become leaders for the next group coming in. That year set the bar for us to never expect less than #1 each and every year no matter what obstacles we faced. 

3. How did your ankle injury change your mindset and allow you to become a more consistent contributor?

Looking back, that injury was such a blessing. I know that sounds weird, but that injury forced me to take a step back and evaluate what really matters. It forced me to learn how to be a valuable contributor on the team without actually doing gymnastics. It also allowed me to realize I was making gymnastics way too big in my head. I was focusing on pleasing the coaches and making the line up that I forgot to actually enjoy what I was doing. When I came back, I completely changed the way I trained. I realized that at any point, gymnastics could be taken away from me, and I wanted to have absolutely no regrets. Every turn in practice I would look up and take a second to thank God for giving me such an amazing gift. That allowed me to relax and enjoy gymnastics again. That, along with consistency in practice, was the key that allowed me to truly live up to my potential. It was letting go and giving my gymnastics up to God in gratitude that allowed me to have no regrets my last two years. Before my injury, I would tell people I would be happy if I got to compete just one time. After I changed my mindset, however, I realized there are no limits to what I can accomplish.

NCAA

4. After your injury and began competing more frequently in 2012, how did that reflect your hard work in the gym?

It 100% reflected my hard work. I have always been a hard worker, but I have not always known how to train smart. That's why I dealt with so many injuries. I would over-train. When I came back from my injury, I realized something needed to change. I needed to make every turn count because my body couldn't take any bad landings anymore. I had to rely on mental imagery and technique a LOT. Chris Waller was hugely influential in developing me as a stronger gymnast mentally. I realized if I could picture it in my mind, then I could do it. Going into my senior year, I made a commitment to myself that I would be THE hardest worker in the entire country. I may not have the most talent, but NOBODY will work harder than me. And I really believe it was that mentality that gave me the confidence I needed to compete how I trained.

5. 2013 was your last year as a bruin. You won your first event title, established career highs, and contributed to a fourth place team finish in Pauley Pavilion. What was it like to finish your career at home at Nationals?

It was so amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better Nationals. All my friends and family were able to be there, and there is nothing like competing at home in the prestigious Pauley Pavilion. I never felt so much joy and confidence competing in my life. Even though we didn't win, I had absolutely no regrets. I had given it my all, and my team did too.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to continue doing gymnastics?

After Nationals. I remember standing there by our fourth place sign thinking, this can't be it. I love this sport way to much to give it up. I didn't know what I would be doing exactly, but I knew I was not about to quit. I actually even tried to petition for a 6th year since I was injured for most of my freshman and sophomore year as well, but I didn't make one of the qualifications. Competing in PGC only fired me up more to continue gymnastics, and then I thought, why don't I just completely go for it and train elite? So that's exactly what I decided to do. 

Professional Gymnastics Competition

7. What was competing at the Pro Gymnastics Challenge like?

It was SO much fun. I got to meet and train with all the best world and Olympic gymnasts - guys and girls! At first it was a little intimidating, but everyone was so nice, and after I showed my skills in the demo day, I realized I could actually battle it out with them. I loved PGC because its co-ed. The guy and girl dynamic made it so much fun. I made a lot of great friends from PGC as well. It was just an awesome experience. Hopefully I will get to do it again this spring!

9. Your coach Chris Waller coached UCLA Alumni Mohini Bhardwaj to an Olympic Team in 2004. Does knowing he has already helped Bhardwaj achieve her dreams help motivate you to train on hard days?

Definitely. What motivates me the most though, honestly, is that I truly believe God has given me this dream and this talent to inspire others. I want to encourage others and show them what is possible when you have faith. I want to show others that it doesn't matter if your not the favorite, or you aren't the most talented, or you were a walk-on "nobody" like me. ANYTHING is possible if you work hard, never give up, and have faith.

10. What skills are you planing on competing this year?

For floor, I am planning to compete double layout full out and/or double double, piked double arabian, half-in-half-out, and double pike. For the first meet though, I will compete a double layout, piked double arabian, half-in-half out, and double pike.

For beam, I am planning on competing flick lay, front tuck wolf jump, switch side, standing arabian, switch leap to switch half (add back tuck eventually), and double pike dismount. For the first meet I won't compete the arabian, and the dismount might be different.

For vault, I plan on competing a tsuk 1 1/2 and Yurchenko double. For the first meet, I want to compete tsuk full or 1 1/2.

11. Having never competing elite before, what are most excited for?

To  turn heads. I want to change the way people view elite gymnastics. I want to bring some life into the floor routines. I want to change the perception that you have to be 16 to be the best. I want to inspire girls to go after their dreams. I want to achieve far beyond what people think I will achieve. That's what excites me. 

Gymnastike

12. How has your club training changed from when you trained at WildFire Gymnastics to your training at Gym-Jam?

I train completely different now. Before, I would train 25 hours a week or more. Now, I only train 15 hours a week - 4x a week, from 3-5 hours a day. The only reason I am able to train less, yet accomplish more is because I have learned how to train my mind. I don't have to do 50 of one skill to gain confidence. I already know I can do it, so I just need to do a few and make each one count. The only challenging event for me right now is beam because I didn't train it at all in college. But I am making a lot of progression. I have my skills now, and I am working more on consistency. I can't train every day anymore because of all the injuries my body has had in the past. That's why I train every other day... and my body feels great now! Another huge difference is my diet. In club, I ate everything and anything I wanted. It didn't seem to affect me because I trained so much. I not only did gymnastics but I ran track too, so I was burning calories like crazy. Now, since I train less, I eat extremely healthy because I want to do everything in my power to help my body stay in optimal condition and prevent injuries. I have never felt stronger and more in shape in my life. 

13. Is training elite different than you thought it would be?

In a sense yes. At first I thought I wouldn't have enough time to train, since I work two jobs - personal training from 5am-11am, then coaching from 4-8:30pm. But I just had to learn how to optimize my training outside of the gym. Training elite is a lifestyle, not just in the gym. Being an elite athlete means eating well, resting well and training well. It's all about balance and being efficient with the time you have.

14. Did you learn anything from Vanessa Zamarippa's elite attempt in 2010?

I learned how picky they are about the compulsory qualifier. I also learned how different the elite world is from the college environment. It's a lot more serious and even more "political" than collegiate gymnastics. One positive I learned from her experience was that they do value specialists. I know I can be a strong asset on floor especially. My difficulty score is in the 16's - right up there with the highest they have now.

15. What are your goals for 2014?
My goal is to first qualify elite, but after that, I want to win floor at Championships and make the National Team.

Examiner.com

Best of luck Alyssa this season!

Misconceptions in Gymnastics

Ever since I started watching gymnastics, my family has been dragged down into my obsession with me, especially my twin sister.  My sister has watched quite a few gymnastics meets against her will over the years, and subsequently is learning more and more about the sport.  While she knows more than the average four-year-fan, she still doesn't know much about the sport.  I decided to test how her opinion on misconceptions compare to that of a four-year-fan, my best friend Cassidy, and two die hard gym fans, Ashlee and Brittany from Triple Twist.

1. Many gymnasts have eating disorders. (Anna Burns)
Cassidy- No
Natalie- No, they're skinny but they have muscle and you don't have to be skinny, you just have to have a lot of muscle.
Brittany- It's hard to tell.  In the 80's and 90's a lot of gymnasts admitted to to having some sort of eating disorders but in recent years there hasn't been much talk of that.  That's not saying it doesn't happen...but nowadays, coaches and parents are more aware of how to treat these illnesses before they get out of control.  From what I understand, don't even weigh their gymnasts on a daily basis like they used to, so the pressure to be thin is not as prevalent.
Ashlee- This could vary from gymnast to gymnast for the most part, in this day and age, I don't think eating disorders are a really big problem!
2. A routine is blown without a stuck landing. (Kerry J)
Cassidy- Yes, absolutely
Natalie- No, because you can have a really good routine but even if you don't stink the landing it doesn't mean it's a good routine.
Brittany- False.  The majority of the score comes from all the action that happens during a routine, not just the landing.  However, it doesn't hurt to stink the landing!
Ashlee- False, you can still have a beautiful routine with a step or hop on the dismount.  You can't be perfect all the time.
3. Everyone believes you are going to the Olympics when they hear you do gymnastics. (Jarin)
Cassidy- Nope
Natalie- No, because even though you do gymnastics you can be bad at it.
Brittany- I feel like for the average person... that's true!  Even though us gym fans know it is the farthest thing from the truth!
Ashlee- For someone who isn't a hardcore gymnastics fan, this may be the initial thought.  But only five girls make it to the Olympics out of the thousands of gymnasts in the world.

Spokeo

4. The Chinese Gymnasts are all under aged. (Beautiful Gymnastics)
Cassidy- Yes
Natalie- Some of them are, because some of them look young but not all of them.
Brittany- False!  Even though they are tiny, that does not necessarily make them look underage.
Ashlee- False, Chinese people tend to look much younger than, for example, the Americans.  Even though some were underage in the past, it's not fair to assume they are always underage.
5. Coaches abuse their gymnasts.
Cassidy- Yes
Natalie- No, they don't
Brittany- False.  Their job is to push you.  Physical and verbal abuse is one thing, but a coach being tough on their athlete is not abuse.
Ashlee- Again, this could vary from gymnast to gymnast but it's pretty safe to say it's false.  Abuse wouldn't go very far today.
6. It is impossible to be a successful gymnast if you are not a prepubescent.

GymBox

Cassidy- No, (look at what's her face... You know who I'm talking about [Oksana Chusovitina])
Natalie- It makes it harder but not impossible.
Brittany- False.  Dominique Moceanu was 14 when she won with the Magnificent 7.  In fact many gymnasts reach their peak before the age of 16 (which is why the age limit needs to be lowered).
Ashlee- Oksana Chusovitina and Vanessa Ferrari are screaming to answer this one.  False!
7. Gymnastics is not a sport.
Cassidy- If Dance is, then gymnastics is.
Natalie- It is a sport because some of the things gymnasts do are harder than things other athletes have to do.
Brittany- That's incredibly false.  It's the hardest sport in the world.
Ashlee- False, if you are sweating then it's a sport.
8. In order to win a medal in gymnastics, "all you have to do is wink at some French judges." (Yahoo Sports)
Cassidy- HELL NO
Natalie- But what if you're not in France?  No because you have to have a lot of talent.
Brittany- False.  In order to win a medal you have to put in the hours at the gym and work your butt off to make yourself a contender!  Nothing comes easy!
Ashlee- False, in order to win a medal you have to work hard and earn it.
9. Gymnastics is only competed every 4 years at the Olympics, not every year.
Cassidy- Gymnastics occurs more than just the Olympics!
Natalie- No, even I know that one!
Brittany- False.  Gymnastics is something you do every single day that leads up to the biggest meet of your life...that just so happens to be every four years.
Ashlee- False.  There are gymnastics meets almost every weekend, whether it be a "level" meet, collegiate, or elite.

As you can see, there is a drastic change between Ashlee and Brittany and Cassidy.  The "four-year-fan" takes what they hear on television more serious than the hard-core fans.  The hard-core fans know more about the sport and form more opinions, while the four-year-fan believes more misconceptions than Ashlee and Brittany.

The Loss of Ana Porgras

The Couch Gymnast

As I rewatched the 2010 Team Final, I watched the beauty that was Ana Porgras.  Ana Porgras, the subject that makes most gym fans cry, the sole Romanian bar worker, the gymnast that brought beauty back to gymnastics.  Ana Porgras, the gymnast that retired four months before London.  Like many gym fans, Ana's retirement came as a surprise to me, as a gymnast so talented and filled with potential; retiring four months before the Olympic Games.   Porgras was struggling with an injury and had a hard time adjusting to the coaching style of Bellu and Bitang and called it quits after Romania failed to earn a medal at the 2011 World Championships.  After her retirement, many fans and experts questioned how well Romania would do in London.  Romania bounced back decently from their unfortunate Worlds in 2011, bringing a Team Bronze, Vault Gold and Floor Silver.  I decided to use Ana's scores from the three World Championships she attended in 2009, 2010, and 2011 to see how Anna would've affected Romania's success.

Team Final
I'm only using scores from past Team Finals here.
Vault
Larisa Iordache- 14.8
Catalina Ponor- 15.1
Sandra Izbasa- 15.1
Total- 45.00

Uneven Bars
Diana Chelaru- 13.633
Larisa Iordache- 13.766
Diana Bulimar- 14.066
Ana Porgras- 14.466
Original Total- 41.465
New Total- 42.298

Longines

Beam
Diana Bulimar- 14.533
Larisa Iordache- 15.3
Catalina Ponor- 15.416
Ana Porgras- 15.3
Original Total- 45.249
New Total- 46.016







Floor
Diana Bulimar- 14.7
Catalina Ponor- 14.8
Sandra Izbasa- 15.2
Original Total- 44.7

Original Team Total- 176.414
New Team Total- 178.014
Total Difference- 1.6

Ana Porgras' presence in London last summer would've made a huge difference in Romania's team total, however would not have changed the color of Romania's medal.  With the addition of Ana Porgras, Romania could've moved within 6 tenths of Russia however.  Porgras' biggest addition would've been on bars, where she took home a share of a bronze medal in 2009.  Porgras could've potentially added .833 to the bars score due to one routine alone.  Bars have been Romania's weak spot for several years, and would've used Porgras' routines for sure in the Team Final.  While Porgras makes a slightly smaller splash in Romania's Beam rotation, her beam routine alone would boost Romania's total Beam score by .767.  By going to London for two routines, she could've boosted Romania's score by over a point and a half!  Ana Porgras was not only missed by fans in London.

Key Players in the NCAA

The NCAA season starts in one month, and I could not be more excited!  As a way to get in the mood for the upcoming NCAA season, as well as the Fantasy Gymnastics draft tomorrow, I am going to highlight some of the gymnasts who are sure to be key-players for their schools!

Bridget Sloan ~ University of Florida

GatorZone.com

Bridget Sloan is the reigning NCAA AA Champion, 8-Time First-Team All American, and led her team to their first National Championship Title ever, all as a freshman.  During her first year as a Gator, Bridget recorded only two falls all season.  She became the first person to win a World, U.S. and NCAA AA Champion, as well as becoming the fourth freshman to win the Honda Award, an award celebrating the best collegiate gymnast.  This year, Sloan looks to take off where she left off.  Likely to lead the All Around on a very stacked Florida lineup, as well as try to defend her Beam NCAA title.  When asked about Bridget, Coach Rhonda Faehn said, "Bridget has been highly successful - she's reached the highest level of our sport.  She's a tremendous athlete and a tremendous competitor.  And since day one of her arrival on campus, Bridget has been solely focused on this team and doing everything possible to help the Gators.  She's an incredible team player and has a very strong work ethic.  Bridget's personality is infectious.  The whole team feeds off of it.  She has fun and loves what she is doing."

Taylor Spears ~ Oklahoma University

gymnastike 

Taylor Spears, a senior at Oklahoma, hails from the powerhouse that is WOGA, and certainly has the lines to prove it!  She is a very consistent All Arounder, who's specialty is her exquisite beam work, and did not register a fall on this event all season and consistently scores in the 9.9 range.  Her beautiful routines compliment a great Oklahoma line-up where she anchors the team on most events and lead the team in the All Around (along with Keely Kmieciak).  She had 26 individual titles last season, including eight All Around, ten Beam, four Bars, three Floor, and one Vault, the second most titles in the NCAA.  A Second Team All-American, she led her team to the highest placement at NCAAs in Team History, as well as placing 15 in the All Around.  Look for Taylor to contribute strongly for Oklahoma, especially on beam.

Diandra Milliner ~ University of Alabama

gymtide.com

Diandra Milliner is such an explosive gymnast that it's hard to take your eyes off of her when she competes her floor routine!  Last season, she competed a Double Arabian, a Front Layout-Front Full, and ends with a double pike.  She has such a high level of difficulty and performs these skills brilliantly, which earned her a second place at NCAA Championships this spring in Los Angeles, CA.  Then there is her vault.  Unlike most college gymnasts, she competes a 1.5TY, and performs it exceptionally.  Her lines during this vault are picture perfect, and generally lands it very well.  Her almost perfect vault was just that at NCAA's, for which she earned a 9.925, and took home her first NCAA Title.  Look for her to try to defend her title this year in her senior year.  Coach Patterson has high praise for this athlete, for good measure.  She is taking on a leadership position, and I am very excited to see her compete this season!  Coach Sarah Patterson told me, "Diandra Milliner is an amazing athlete who is probably one of the best competitors I have worked with during my career.  She knows when to 'Light the Fire' so to speak and has that sense of urgency in competition that every coach loves to have.  She has a natural athletic ability that you can not teach."

Sam Peszek ~ UCLA

photos.al.com

 Sam Peszek, 2008 Olympian headlines a stellar UCLA team.  Peszek was forced to Redshirt last year after tearing her Achilles Tendon in the preseason and is ready to rock this season.  Her beam work, much like it was in her elite days, is stunning.  In 2012, after injuring her wrist, she competed solely on beam, with what the UCLA staff called "The Bluetooth Routine" without using her hands.  She was also the first college gymnast to compete a standing full in 2011 when she won the 2011 NCAA Beam title.  She has always been a solid and consistent All Arounder, counting one fall all season in 2012. Peszek will look to come back strong this season as a Redshirt Junior.

Rheagan Courville ~ LSU

gymnastike.com

Rheagan Courville, a former elite who made the Junior National Team in 2007-2008, has been a standout of a rising LSU team during the past few season.  The stellar junior excels on All Around, and is the reigning 2013 NCAA vault champion.  She placed second AA at the 2013 NCAA Championships behind World Champion Bridget Sloan and a 3-Time All-American from 2013.  Her beam work looks effortless and has a beautiful Standing Arabian, similar to that of Nia Dennis and Viktoria Komova.  Rheagan leads the resurgent LSU team, which made Super 6 last year and handed University of Florida it's only loss of the season, and will look to stay as consistent and strong as she has been in her first two seasons as a Tiger.  Assistant Coach Jay Clark has some wonderful things to say about this amazing athlete.  Clark says, "Rheagan Courville is one of the most gifted athletes I have ever worked with.  Her gymnastics is light and effortless and she is a joy to coach."

Thank You Gymternet

A while back, for my AP Language and Composition class we have to write a journal entry talking about a turning point in our lives.  It was for our eyes only, and I took this entry to heart.  I wrote about the gymternet, and I thought it would be cool to post my journal entry, as a way to thank you all you have done for me over the last year and a half.

Assignment: Write about the biggest turning point in your life.

The biggest turning point in my life was the moment I discovered my love for gymnastics and joined the gymternet.  I had always love to do and watch gymnastics, and after the 2008 Olympics I discovered Twitter and the gymternet and I never looked back.  After I joined the gymternet, I was inspired by the amazing bloggers already there, such as Get a Grip Gymblog, Triple Twist, Arabian Punch Front, and so many others, and started mine on my 15th birthday, June 27, 2012.  It was the best time to start a blog, with the Olympics a month away,  After a while of writing for the blog, I realized how much I loved review and analyze numbers and past results and how it correlates to the current results, and how much I loved writing about sports in general.  I realized sports are more than a hobby I do after school, they are my passion, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life writing about sports professionally.  I realized all of this because of the gymternet.  The gymternet is such an amazing place where I can talk to other people who love gymnastics as much as I do, and not only talk about gymnastics.  I can honestly say I've met some of the most amazing people on twitter, and I don't know what I'd do without being able to talk to those people.  So, thank you gymternet for giving me an outlet to post my ramblings and findings for the past year and a half.

Thank you to all of those who've helped the past year and a half grow as a blogger, gym fan, and person.

Thank you Bekah, APF, Ashlee and Brittany for the inspiration to start a blog and follow my dreams, and all the help along the way.

Thank you to my first two gymternet friends Kim and Kathleen.  We may not talk as much anymore, but you guys are still and always will be my Aly and Mac<3

Thank you to the Mooseherd, DylDawg (LTAGymnastics) and Hannuda (@Hannaversary).  You both are amazing and Nat asks about you ALL the time.  hanN, you've given me such great advice and helped me through some crazy times.  I love you both.

Thank you to my gymternet sister, Amanda (@gymnasticsedits on Instagram).  You are one of the sweetest people I know and talked with me through some of the weird times I've had.  You are like my best friend and I don't know what I would do without you.  I'm saving up my money so we can go to Tokyo together in 2020.  I love you Manda!

Thank you to the wonderful people at GymnastIke for giving me the opportunity to go to my dream camp, International Gymnastics Camp.  I've wanted to go to IGC for about 4 years and my parents told me, "The only way you could EVER go to IGC if it was cheaper."  When I saw an ad for the 2013 Pro Gymnastics Challenge Prediction Contest I decided to enter because I had nothing to lose.  Lets just say when I got the email saying that I had won about a month later, I was in complete shock.  After my mom called to clarify that this contest was legit, I was finally on my way to IGC.  It was an unbelievable week and I can't wait to go back this summer with a friend! (Only 221 days away :p)

Thank you to all of the amazing gymnasts that follow me.  Without you all, I wouldn't have anything to write about!  You all never fail to make my day when I see I have an awesome new follower.  So thank you, Emily Schein, Emily Schild, Taylor Spears, Larisa Iordache, Alina Weinstein, Peter Daggett, Shannon Miller, Jordyn Givens, Ariana Agrapides, Jazmyn Foberg, Laurie Hernandez, Haley Scaman, Alexis Beucler, Roxana Popa, Aimee Boorman, Jay Clark, Kaitlyn Clark, Madison Mooring, Owen Field, Jeff Graba, Brie Olson, Lauren Beers, Natasha Kelley, Rebecca Clark, Jennifer Pinches, Briley Casanova, Annia Hatch, Dylan Marshall, Emily Stone, Haylee Roe, Vasiliki Millousi, Shawn Johnson, Kayla WIlliams, McKenzie Wofford, Brittany Wenzel, Sydney McGlone, Nica Hults, Bayle Pickel, Marissa Beucler, Kaylee Cole, Timmy D, Tasha Schwikert, Lexie Preissman, and Victoria Moors.

Finally, thank you to all of my followers.  If you asked me 1 and a half years ago if I would have 1589 followers, among them being 8 Olympians, 4 Olympic Medalists, 2 Olympic Champions, 9 World Championship competitors, 7 World Championship Medallists, 4 World Champions and 2 World All Around Champions, 15 NCAA competitors and so many amazing people, I wouldn't have believed you. Thank you all for everything.  You've impacted my life more than you guys will EVER know.