College Gymnastics novel – ‘Perfect 16.0โ€™

J is considering writing a novel based on College Gymnastics. The working title is ‘Perfect 16.0โ€™.

Cailee Hilton is an 18-year old Level 10 gymnast and recent high school graduate. After a turbulent start to life; being raised under single mom, Amanda, Cailee has finally found the errors of her rebellious ways and has realized her dream: doing college gymnastics at a Division I school. โ€ฆ

After being ranked #1 in the Nation in the Preseason Coaches Poll, the team have a lot of pressure to remain consistent through the regular season and eventually, go on to try and capture the program’s first ever NCAA National Championship! Battling through several injuries and problems throughout the season, the Tigers team are nowhere near their original prowess come Nationals. After squeezing into the Super Six in sixth place, the Tigers are almost certainly ruled out of contention for the title. โ€ฆ

Perfect 16

Perfect 16

You could have input shaping the rest of the novel. If interested, click over to a survey page.

top 100 AA scores of 2015

1. Simone Biles, USA, 63.000
2. Larisa Iordache, Romania, 60.900
3. Gabby Douglas, USA, 60.500
4. Maggie Nichols, USA, 60.000
5. Aly Raisman, USA, 59.900
6. Bailie Key, USA, 59.750
7. Madison Kocian, USA, 58.900
8. Aliya Mustafina, Russia, 58.865
9. Asuka Teramoto, Japan, 58.850
10. Alyssa Baumann, USA, 58.700
11. MyKayla Skinner, USA, 58.200
12. Ellie Black, Canada, 58.150
13. Aiko Sugihara, Japan, 58.050
14. Maria Kharenkova, Russia, 58.033
15t. Wang Yan, China, 58.000
15t. Elsa Garcia, Mexico, 58.000

see the rest on Tsuk the Pain

Simone actually has the top 5 scores so far this year. But is only listed once.

Simone Jesolo

Compare with the Gymternet’s top 100.

on FIG change-of-nation requests

Lauren Hopkins:

… International Gymnast reported that two U.S. gymnasts โ€“ Alaina Kwan and Kylie Dickson โ€“ are going to compete at this yearโ€™s World Championships for the nation of Belarus.

Iโ€™m not typically against change-of-nation requests for gymnasts competing at the international level. Most of the time, itโ€™s gymnasts with legitimate ties to other countries, often countries with bare-bones gymnastics programs or no actively-competing elite-level gymnasts. And in cases where there are already elites, thereโ€™s generally a selection process through which everyone is given a fair shot at making a team. โ€ฆ

Americans who have never stepped foot in Belarus, and who will not visit Belarus prior to representing the country in major international competition.

How does this even happen? From what weโ€™ve gathered, it seems as though All Olympia head coaches NellieArtur Akopyan and Galina Marinova approached Nellie Kim โ€“ President of the FIG Womenโ€™s Technical Committee and vice president of the Belarusian Gymnastics Federation โ€“ about sending Dickson and Kwan representing Belarus after the two failed to qualify to U.S. nationals (both missed the all-around cutoff of 54.0 by over two points). Kim, who has been trying to build the Belarusian program internally, apparently loved the idea and the three got to work obtaining citizenship for the girls. …

Why Iโ€™m Angry About Belarus

I have to agree with Lauren. This is going far-too-far. FIG should not be granting change-of-nation requests to gymnasts with such flimsy ties to the new nation.

No Excuses: Aimee Walker-Pond

No-Excuses-Front-homepageNo Excuses: The Story of Elite Gymnast Aimee Walker-Pond traces the gymnastics career of a girl born deaf and blind in one eye. Despite challenge after challenge and setback after setback, Aimee rose in the gymnastics world to compete for UCLA and BYU and at the level of International Elite โ€” a feat no athlete with comparable disabilities has accomplished in the history of the sport.

This biography describes how Aimee overcame her health struggles, learned American Sign Language, succeeded in gymnastics, enjoyed social activities, acted in movies, traveled to Hawaii and Russia, worked hard in school, competed in college, and found romance.

Bruno Grandi, President of the International Gymnastics Federation, said, โ€œAimee has filled our hearts with the fire of warmth and love and inspired us all to become better.โ€ Valorie Kondos Field, head womenโ€™s gymnastics coach at UCLA and winner of six NCAA National Championships, said, โ€œAimeeโ€™s not deaf. She just canโ€™t hear. Why would she need two eyes, when she has one? She has no excuses.โ€

Impact Publishing $16.95

related – No Excuses: The story of elite gymnast Aimee Walker-Pond

who sells fame retardant pit cubes?

Courtney Cook Carignan:

We are conducting a study investigating the efficacy of different types of pit cubes against the revised TB117-2013 smolder standard. Our goal is to identify a preferred solution for maintaining/improving fire safety in gyms while reducing gymnast exposure to flame retardants. Prototype testing will take place at Worcester Polytechnic Instituteโ€™s Fire Protection Engineering Laboratory. Results will be shared with gym owners, fire marshals, industry, gymnasts, coaches and parents.

Submit the names of any companies you know here.

when your teammate fails to spot

๐Ÿ™‚

See it on Tumblr.

http://papaliukin.tumblr.com/post/130146878799/mamuinbleu-papaliukin-when-your-teammate

Here’s a teammate spotting attentively. ๐Ÿ™‚

2016 NCAA Championships LIVE TV

LIKE Greg Marsden’s post on Facebook.

April 15-17, 2016 – Fort Worth Convention Center Arena / Fort Worth, TX hosted by Texas Woman’s University

April 14-16, 2017 – Chaifetz Arena / St. Louis, MO hosted by Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission

April 20-22, 2018 – Chaifetz Arena / St. Louis, MO hosted by Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission