A Look Inside: Twistars USA

For this three part video series we visited Twistars USA in Diamondale, Michigan to catch up with the 2012 Olympic head coach John Geddert, his star pupil, Jordyn Wieber and check out his standout level 10 team.

Part 1-Interview with John Geddert. 

              

Part 2- Interview with Jordyn Wieber and John Geddert. 

             

Part 3- Extra training footage with Jordyn Wieber and the Twistars level 9 and 10's.

              

                                                     

A look inside Gedderts Twistars (Preview)

           
                

The full 3 part video will be released this weekend.

Looking Back At "a Fairytale Season" and More- Interview with Alina Weinstein

While doing my portfolio for my journalism class, I decided I wanted to write an article about the Illinois women’s gymnastics team making it to Nationals for the third time in the program’s history. I thought it would be great if I could get quotes for the interview, so I interviewed my favorite Illini gymnast, Alina Weinstein. Since this article was only being written for my final portfolio, and not the actual school paper, I thought it would be awesome to put these answers in a blog post so people who love gymnastics, and not just my journalism teacher, would be able to read Alina’s answers.

Photo Credit: FightingIllini.com

  At regionals, what were your thoughts on ending the competition on beam while Nebraska, who you were competing with for the second spot, was ending on vault?
It's a funny thing because I knew that we were going to be able to do it. The past two times we went to nationals it was because we had such an impressive showing ending on our last event which was beam. So I was confident in the fact that we would do it again.

When you went anchored beam at regionals, what were your feelings since it could have been your last routine in an Illini leo?
I didn't think that there was any way Nebraska could come back. Call it foolish but at that moment I was just completely confident that we would pull through. There were times where going into that meet I considered that it might be my last routine but once we got going it just wasn't going to happen that way.


            


At regionals, you won three titles and the Regional Gymnast of the Year award. How did it feel to end the meet with several accomplishments?
Honestly those accomplishments in the grand scheme of things were just bonus. I promised to set the standards high and take my team back to nationals and that was the driving force that propelled me to do my absolute best for the team.

Describe your Nationals experience this year in one word.
Emotional. It was such an amazing experience to be there again. [It] didn't go out the way I had planned but I guess [it never] really does. But I have comfort in the fact that I took my team there and I showed the [underclassmen] what it was like and I am proud to continue the Illinois tradition that was once placed on me.

You've once said that you wanted to join Cirque. What are your plans after graduation?
I am sure that I want to be a college coach and stay in this world. So that's what I will be working on now.

The Illinois gymnastics program is obviously one of the up and coming collegiate programs in the nation. What do the Illini need to do in the future to be even more successful and make the Super Six?
The Illini can continue to improve their status in the NCAA by believing in themselves. Their potential and talent is incredible but they need to continue to push the envelope and continue to improve their consistency and small detail work. Their talent is what sets them apart from other teams and as soon as the Illini can really realize and take advantage of this then they will really take off.

At Nationals, you had an uncharacteristic fall on beam. What were your thoughts during that time? What occurred for you to bounce back from your fall and score a 9.9 on floor to tie for first and make event finals?
It was really hard. I hadn't fallen on a beam routine since nationals in 2010 so it had been almost two years. It was really upsetting and at my last meet at nationals that's not how you want to you want your experience to be. At that point I was an emotional wreck and I have never cried at a meet before because I was upset and it really took a lot for me to be able to go out there and do one last routine. I guess it was fate that I saw my athletic director in the hallway who was there by chance and he told me that he was proud of me as my head coach really helped me in the moment as well.

Photo Credit: Erin Long

Although the team's score at Nationals was below the season high of 196.475, the team scored a 195.700 to earn the highest score the women's program at Illinois has ever produced at the National Championships. You and the rest of the team have continually made history throughout the season, so how did it feel to end the season making history as a team?
At that moment I didn't know what our score was or what we had done as a team. I was just happy - it took a lot for us to get there and it took a lot of convincing and believing in ourselves. It's a lot harder as an underdog to accomplish the feats that people don't expect and I'm grateful for the ability to take advantage of an amazing opportunity - the one that we had at regionals. That was the moment that I will remember for the rest of my life and I'm happy for having that memory.

What will you miss most about gymnastics?
What I will miss most is the rush of doing something to the best of your ability and being able to share that special moment with the people you care about. The emotions that you feel at meets are incredible and that is what I will always remember and miss the most.

Throughout your entire gymnastics career, what do you wish you would have done differently?
I think every experience whether good or bad has taught me something and has shaped me into the athlete that I was. I don't think I would have changed anything - I am grateful for the career I have had.

The Pro Gym Challenge is unlike any other competition. Why did you decide to participate in it?
I wanted to enter the Pro Challenge because it was one last chance for me to do gymnastics and compete again. It was also an opportunity to meet some amazing people and be able to do skills I haven't done in years and just have some fun with it.

Team USA! Photo Credit: Pro Gym Challenge

How did training for the PGC differ from training for a normal meet?
Training for PGC was different because I worked on all the skills I had done in my career that I wasn't able to put into routines. It was a lot of fun because I love playing around with skills and I am definitely a daredevil so that's a lot of fun for me.

What was the best part of the PGC?
The best part of PGC was meeting new people and working out with people from around the world. It was like an adult gymnastics camp which was awesome.


          

  I would like to thank Alina for allowing me to interview her despite her busy schedule. I appreciate it very much. Congrats to Alina for graduating and on the season!

Interview done by: Amanda

My Favorite NCAA Floor Routines

What makes a floor routine stand out in such a large field of college gymnasts? There is something about some of the top floor routines in the NCAA that draws the audience in and makes you want to watch them. This is what I like to call 'the wow factor." A combination of incredible tumbling and presentation,  the wow factor is the ability to perform and draw the crowd into your routine. It's those routines that you just can't help but smile while watching and you just want to keep watching them again and again. Below I've listed all my favorite floor routines from last season.

Bridget Sloan- Florida


Vanessa Zamarripa- UCLA


Emily Wong- Nebraska

Lloimincia Hall- LSU


Sophina DeJesus- UCLA


What were some of your favorite routines? Comment below! 

10 Questions with upcoming junior gymnast- Vanasia Bradley

Meet Vanasia Bradley- she's 14 years old, an 8th grader, and one of the newest junior elite gymnasts. Vanasia trains at Splitz Gymnastics in Canton, Michigan and is already proving herself to be one to watch with some of her big skills. Vanasia is eligible for the 2016 Olympics in Rio and will turn senior in 2015. We caught up with Vanasia to talk about qualifying to elite, skills she's working on in the gym, and her plans for the future.

Triple Twist: How did you get started in gymnastics?

Vanasia: My kindergarten teacher noticed me doing cartwheels and stuff during recess, so she told my parents that I would be a really good athlete and that I should try recreational gymnastics. So I did and  when I was on the team, I moved through the levels a lot faster than anyone else so my parents knew I could be really successful. 

Triple Twist: You are the first and only elite gymnast to come out of your gym, how does that make you feel?

Vanasia: It's definitely helped me gain my confidence and I was very proud of myself, but one of the most important things was that I could be a good example for the upcoming little one's who want to be elite, so they can see that hey, it really can be done. 

Triple Twist: Who are some of your role models in gymnastics? Who do you look up to?

Vanasia: In the gym I look up to Isabell Hutchins because she's been through so much bad stuff, yet she comes in the gym everyday with a positive attitude and pushes through all the obstacles that come her way. Outside of the gym I look up to Rebecca Bross. I love the way she presents herself at competitions. She never gives up and is really mentally tough. 

Triple Twist: What skills can we expect to see from you this season? Walk us through your routines.

Current routines: 

Vault- Yurchenko full

Bars- Toe up, stalder, tkachev, blind half, jaeger, toe hand, bail, stalder up, double tuck dismount

Beam- Switch ring, back handspring layout step out, full turn, front aerial-sheep jump, side aerial, switch leap-back tuck, split jump-sissone, round off- 2 1/2 twist dismount.

Floor- Double pike, round off-1 1/2 to a full twist, switch ring, strug, double full turn with leg at horizontal, double twist, 2 1/2 twist

Working on:

Vault- 2 1/2 (amanar)

Bars- Shaposh half (watch here.), inside stalder, toe full, stalder full, and full out dismount

Beam- Back handspring layout step out-layout step out and triple twist dismount

Floor- Changing first pass to double double or full in (watch here.), 2nd pass to round off 1 1/2 to double twist, 3rd pass to 2 1/2 to punch front or full twist, 4th pass to triple twist.

You can see many of Vanasia's upgrades below or click here.

               

  Triple Twist: There is video of you training a triple twisting double, was that just for fun or do you plan on competing it? 

Vanasia at age 13 working on triple twisting doubles. Watch below or click here.

             

Vanasia: I won't be competing that, haha. But I should compete the double double. 

Triple Twist: Besides for qualifying to elite, what has been your biggest accomplishment so far?

Vanasia: The next biggest thing I did was at level 9 nationals. I got 2nd all around and first on bars. 

Triple Twist: What do you like to do when your not in the gym?

Vanasia: Well, I like to coach if I can. But other then that I love hanging out with friends, going shopping, painting my nails, you know..normal people stuff. 

Vanasia coaching younger girls at the gym.

Triple Twist: What grade are you in and do you home school or go to public school?

Vanasia: I'm in 8th grade and I go to public school. 

Triple Twist: After watching the London Olympics, what was your favorite moment? Did anything stand out to you?

Vanasia: I didn't really have a favorite part, but watching the whole thing helped me realize that I really wanted to go elite. 

Triple Twist: What are some of your goals in gymnastics? 

Vanasia: This year I want to make the National Team and down the road I want to make it to the 2016 Olympics. 

You can learn more about Vanasia by visiting her Gym Diva's site here.

Thank you Vanasia and we wish you the best of luck in the future!