Year: 2011

I once asked Steph to come back to her home gym and explain to the younger girls what NCAA gymnastics is all about. She’s a real College success story.

This season she’s been leading off on vault, bars and floor.

… Coach Tanya Chaplin looks for people who are consistent, don’t get rattled easily and manage their warmups better than others to lead off.

Gymnasts have a timed warmup before every event and whoever goes first must be ready when the judges are ready. The rest of the lineup has time to prepare as McGregor competes.

“She is someone the coaches trust, and that means a lot to her,” Chaplin said. “She knows how important her role is.” …

Gazette Times

Click PLAY or watch Steph on YouTube.

Thanks Tammy.

Good luck to the Beavers at Championships. They are ranked #1 as a team on Bars. That despite being coached by my old friend John Carney. 🙂

After reading LIVE accounts of pre-competition training on Gymnastics Examiner and THE ALL AROUND, … it sounds like podium training was rough.

One gymnast is gaining high praise from Blythe:

Killer full floor set from Dementyeva, with that showmanship in that wonderfully choreographed routine, capped with a stuck double pike to end. Someone has come to play in Berlin. …

GymNiceTic is there and is posting photos.

Couch Gymnast has commentary and makes a few predictions.

A 13-year old Connecticut girl is bringing the serious issue of bullying to the forefront once again through a stark video she put on the Internet two weeks ago that’s quickly gaining attention.

Her name is Alye Pollack. …

… Without ever speaking, Alye describes her pain and the insults she says she endures every day.

CBS News Correspondent Elaine Quijano reported the video has struck a chord. It has thousands of hits, and an outpouring of sympathetic comments. “Be strong, Alye,” reads one message, and, “Always know how special you are.” …

CBS News

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

Thank you Alye.

You can show support on her Facebook page.

Jessica is yet another excellent gymnast from Oakville. She won Wild Rose in the Senior Challenge division:

1. 52.867 – Jessica Dowling (Oakville Antoinettes Gym Club (ON))
2. 52.700 – Emily Lennon (Gymtastics Gymnastics Club (AB))
3. 49.100 – Cristina Bedggood (Futures Gymnastics Club (ON))
(full results)

If any College coaches at NCAA Championships ask me for a recommendation on a good recruit who might be flying under the radar, the very first girl I’d name is Jessica Dowling. … They already know about Emily 🙂

Click PLAY or watch her on YouTube.

A lovely gymnast. And a charming girl. Watch an interview from Nationals 2010.

High resolution version available from Gymnastics Training Tips.

Berlin, April 4-10th.

The All Around Gymnastics News and Gymnastics Examiner will be posting LIVE.

Certainly GYMmedia will have extensive coverage in German and English.

The biggest story will be the Russian Women. They are favoured. But Romania’s planning to challenge for the Gold medals.

Sandra Izbasa quoted in the Romanian press:

Q: Sandra, how do you feel now, after you won FX gold at the French internationals?
A: I gained confidence. Now, of course, I hope for gold in Berlin

Q: Who will be the strongest competitor, us or the Russians?
A: We will …

Couch Gymnast.

Gymnastics Examiner – 2011 European Championships preview: Women

A professional highlights edit by GYMmedia TV of the Men’s International Junior Team Cup of Artistic Gymnastics hosted in Berlin.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (8min, German & English)

via THE ALL AROUND on Facebook.

At the Athens Regional qualifier. Always colourful. Always interesting.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

(via Aunt Joyce)

related – Florida’s Rhonda Faehn post meet interview

extremely grateful… painful … ugly …

I’m expecting Florida will be ready in 2 weeks, though. Still the team to beat.

Catch up on EVERYTHING on Gymnastics Examiner – The gymnastics week in review: Europeans, Regionals and other significant meets.

Here’s one story I missed:

An idea for saving NCAA men’s gymnastics (maybe): The U.S. Olympic committee has created an “award” (read: cash prize) for schools who produce Olympic medalists who are still in college when they win said medals. The idea seems to be that if the athlete wins hardware, his or her school will get “recognized” (read: paid). (Associated Press)

Lucky us. Gymnastics Examiner editor Blythe Lawrence is in Berlin for Europeans.

2011 NCAA Team Qualifiers to Championships April 15-17 in Cleveland, Ohio.

1. UCLA, 197.425
2. Oklahoma, 197.35
3. Alabama, 197.275
4. Michigan, 197.075
5. Oregon State, 197.025
6. Georgia, 196.75
7. Nebraska, 196.55
8. Arkansas, 196.55
9. Utah, 196.475
10. Florida, 196.425
11. Illinois, 195.925
12. Kent State, 195.45

Gymnastics Examiner

… The Illini came through in the clutch on balance beam and totaled a 195.925 to edge Penn State (195.850) for the final qualifying spot. …

“I am so proud of this team and how they fought to the end,” interim head coach Kim Landrus said. …

The meet came down to the wire, as the Illini were just .125 ahead of the Nittany Lions heading into the final rotation. The Orange and Blue needed to hit on beam to remain ahead of PSU, who finished the meet on bars. Penn State turned in a 49.125 while the Illini had two gymnasts remaining to perform on their event. Senior Allison Buckley and Melissa Fernandez each nailed their routines with stuck landing …

#14 Illini Earn Second-Ever Trip to NCAA Championships