Top Moments from the 2014 College Gymnastics Season

Oklahoma. Period. 
There's nothing like making history for your school. After a phenominal performance in only their fourth Super Six appearance in program history, the Oklahoma Sooners were victorious- tying with Florida for the national title. After falling short to Florida last year with a second place finish, this victory couldn't be any sweeter! It's been amazing to watch this team grow throughout the years and finally secure their spot as one of the top schools in the nation. Boomer Sooner!

Central Michigan On The Rise
Let's be honest, Central Michigan is not one of the teams that is typically in the conversation when it comes to NCAA gymnastics. However their performance this season is definitely noteworthy and I think they deserve some recognition from the gymnastics world. I love when underdog teams step it up and prove themselves among the best. Thanks to scoring in the mid 196's several times this season, CMU was able to jump to an 18th overall ranking in the nation- their highest ranking as a team since 2003. Their RQS of 196.300 was also the best in program history! This season the Chippewas won their fifth consecutive conference title (MAC) and qualified a full team to Regionals as the number three seed, which has only happened one other time in their program history. At Regionals they finished third behind Michigan and Georgia, (who beat them by not even a full point.) and also qualified three individuals to the NCAA Championships! Emily Heinz, Halle Moraw, and Taylor Noonan all competed on beam with the highest score coming from Moraw who scored a 9.850! What a great season the Chippewas had! They should be proud of what they accomplished!




Good Sportsmanship

The one thing I love more than gymnastics itself.... good sportsmanship in gymnastics! We tend to see it more on the men's side, but there were a few moments this season on the women's side that really made me smile! (Who doesn't love that warm and fuzzy feeling?) At the Big 10 Quad meet, Michigan was having a rough meet after having two gymnasts fall off the beam twice. In the final rotation, the Minnesota gymnasts stood by the floor to cheer on the final Michigan gymnasts who were still competing...just like they would their own teammates. Michigan returned the favor at the National Championships by doing the "M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A" cheer for Lindsay Mable who was last to perform after they failed to qualify to the Super Six. Even through their sadness they went out of their way to cheer for Lindsay and make her feel not so alone. (She was competing as an individual without her team to cheer her on.)

Nebraska makes Super Six
Against all odds, Nebraska posted a 197.100 in prelims to fend off UCLA and Utah for a spot in the Super Six. This was their first trip to the Super Six since 2011 and it was well earned. The Huskers have always been sort of the dark horses and can be just as good as the top teams when they hit. So I was not surprised to see them in this spot. Nebraska and Oklahoma were the only teams not from the SEC conference to qualify to the Super Six.

Overwhelming amount of media attention for Lloimincia Hall, LSU, and college gymnastics!
A fan favorite in the gymnastics world for quite some time...Lloimincia Hall, the junior from LSU finally caught the attention of the mainstream media when one of her perfect 10 floor routines went viral. Good Morning America, People Magazine, Total Sorority Move, Buzzfeed, you name it! Lloimincia also got a tweet from one of her favorite music groups "Earth, Wind & Fire" (Fun fact: She uses one of their songs in her floor routine) and got all-access passes to meet the Pittsburgh Steelers. What great publicity for college gymnastics!

Re-chalking up with Jennifer Sey

Like every young gymnast, Jennifer Sey had a dream. A dream to become an Olympian. A dream to become the best gymnast in the world. At the mere age of eleven, Jennifer entered the world of elite gymnastics; it would rule her life for the next seven years. Jennifer traveled the world representing the United States in international competitions and eventually found herself right where she wanted to be- atop the podium at the US National Championships in 1986. But there's a darker side to the story that nobody knew until Jennifer published her own memoir in 2008 entitled "Chalked Up Inside Elite Gymnastics' Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams" Jennifer tells the in-depth story of her life as an elite gymnast in the 80's which includes stories of abuse and her struggle to become sickly thin- all the things that eventually wore her down and made her dream no longer possible. We had the opportunity to speak with Jennifer about writing her book, parts of her elite career, and what she's up to today! 

When did the idea of writing your own book come about? 

I had been writing in various forms for some time- mostly screenplays. While I had gotten into film school for screenwriting (and decided not to attend), nothing ever came of writing. Then I realized that if I wrote a book vs. a screenplay, it would be done when I finished it, whether or not it ever got published. I wanted to complete something, so I decided to do what they tell you to do when you go to school for writing: write what you know. For me, that was gymnastics- my life. As an avid reader of memoirs, I recognized that an interesting story about something that many people don't know or haven't experienced that includes broadly resonant themes makes for a good read! So that's what I decided to do. 

In your book you get very personal about all the hardships you faced being an elite gymnast. Were you ever afraid to share the truth- even years after the fact? 

I was afraid to share the shame I felt about the things I considered to be my failures. I was afraid to share that I felt like a failure. I was embarrassed to share the behaviors I engaged in related to my eating disorder. Again, out of shame. But I was not afraid to share the behaviors of others- coaches, etc. To me those were just facts that established context- context of what it was like for me to participate in the sport at the elite level in the mid-80's. There were some things I vetted with others first. For instance, I shared alleged sexual abuse on the part of a coach that affected a close friend of mine. I asked her permission to share that because it's her story to share, not mine. She said okay. Interestingly, sharing the stuff I felt most ashamed of was the one thing that helped dissipate the shame. Ironic. 

Do you feel your book got a negative backlash? Who was your biggest detractor? 

There was negative backlash but it dissipated. There were a lot of coaches and people involved in the sport that were angry and called me a liar. Or more beside the point, they dismissed my story because in their minds I wasn't successful as a gymnast. The allegation being I was just bitter that I was never really that good. I definitely got some nasty letters and a lot of criticism, but it died down relatively quickly and I was brought closer to many of the girls I use to compete with. Many of them confirmed and validated the story and thanked me for writing it. The book was never meant to reflect everyone's experience, only my own. I stand by that. There are some truly amazing things about the sport, and about my own personal experience in it- things I'm grateful for to this day. But there was some bad stuff too. I meant to reflect the full experience. The inclusion of the story of sexual abuse had a positive impact. I worked with two women who made their stories of abuse known to USA Gymnastics. These coaches have now been banned from the sport.

In terms of eating disorders and abuse, do you think this could still be a problem in gyms today? 

I'm not involved in the sport, so it really is hard to say. I suspect there is still some, but it seems to have gotten much better.

In 2003, there was a documentary filmed at your former gym- Parkettes, called "Pursuing the Perfect 10" Many people thought this showed the gym in a negative light. Have you seen the documentary? What do you think? 

I did see parts and pieces. I don't think I've seen the whole thing in its entirety, so I probably shouldn't comment. But from what I saw, I felt it was an accurate reflection of the club.

Looking back now at your career do you have any regrets? 

None. I'm proud of what I accomplished. 

What are you most proud of? 

That would have to be winning the USA Championships just nine months after breaking my femur at the World Championships. 

Who was the biggest supporter in your career? 

Lois Musgrave, my coach at Will-Moor. She was a great woman- an educator first, coach second. I love that woman. She helped put me back together when things got really tough. 

Who was your idol in gymnastics? Who inspired you? 

Nadia. 

As a gymnast and as a person now, how would you describe yourself? 

Driven, manically focused on what I want to accomplish, hard working, not naturally good at anything- but will try hard enough to make up for it! 

In your book you talk a lot about your teammates and the friendship/rivalry you had. What was it like to be friends with girls who essentially you wanted to be better than?

We were more friends than anything. No one else could understand our experience but each other, so that drove the friendship. But certainly it can be difficult when you are also competing against each other. But we were friends first and foremost. I am friends with many of these people today. We shared such an uncommon childhood experience- we are bonded. 

You retired in 1987, did you ever consider college gymnastics? 

I did. When I went to college I was on crutches, I'd just had ankle surgery. I spent some time in the gym trying to rehab, thinking I'd compete, maybe, just for fun. But I was too injured and I wanted to focus on academics, friends, and having an experience that didn't involve sports. I wanted to build my identity as a person rather than an athlete. I didn't know myself as anything other than an athlete, so it took some time. 

What do you think of the state of gymnastics today? Things have changed quite a bit since your time.

Its amazing! I can't believe what they do! I wish there was a bit more of the artistic component that there use to be, it seems to have lost some of that. But man oh man, they defy believe! Those girls are magic!

And what advice would you give to those young girls competing at the elite level today? 

Work as hard as you can. Go after what you want. But do know, there is life after this sport. You will achieve beyond gymnastics, if you want to. You will spend more of your life as a non-gymnast than as a gymnast. 

Lastly, can you share what you've been up to today? 

I work at Levi's. I am the Chief Marketing Officer, which means I lead all of our marketing efforts around the globe. I have two kids- Virgil (13) and Wyatt (10) and I have a third on the way!

Watch the bar routine that clinched Jennifer the 1986 National title below.

                           

For more on Jennifer's life as an elite gymnast you can purchase her book (here).

My Favorite NCAA Floor Routines (from the last 5 years!)

Courtney Kupets (University of Geogria-2009)
I started following collegiate gymnastics back in 2009 and I remember absolutely LOVING this routine. Considering that I had only watched elite gymnastics until that point, I had never seen a routine with so much energy and sass. I had only watched elite gymnastics and I had never seen a routine that had so much energy and sass. I really liked how involved the audience was and I just wanted to be apart of it! Courtney looked like she was having a blast every time she stepped onto the floor and the energy that she created was so captivating! This will probably always remain one of my favorite college routines.




Reema Zakharia (University of Michigan- 2011) 
Being the huge Michigan fan that I am, it would be impossible for me to talk about my favorite floor routines without mentioning Reema. She has always been one of the best performers in the country (at least in my opinion!) and I'm definitely going to miss the spunk and creativity she brings to her routines. Watching her perform live will always be one of my favorite memories because she's one of those girls who creates SO much energy. I can't help but smile when she takes to the floor! This is Reema's floor routine from her freshman year, although I've really enjoyed all her routines. (Fun Fact: She does all her own choreography including some of her teammates!)

 

Elyse Hopfner Hibbs (UCLA-2012) 
Words can not describe how much I love this routine. I admit that I pretty much love everything that Val choreographs but this routine in particular is stunning! The use of eye contact is incredible and the performance quality is off the charts! Typical UCLA. I credit not only Val for coming up with the choreography, but also Elyse for the way she performed it. You could give this routine to any other athlete in the country and they most likely wouldn't be able to do it anywhere near as good as this.

 

Lloimincia Hall (LSU-2013) 
Bet you didn't see this one coming! Obviously we all know how fabulous Lloimincia is, as her routines have been talked about A LOT. Some people like it, some people hate it. Regardless Lloimincia always brings the fun on floor! It's something about the energy and personality she brings to this event that makes every performance of hers truly memorable. I literally smile like crazy whenever I watch her and I will drop whatever I'm doing to watch her perform. She just commands your attention. You can tell that she lives every single moment of her routine and she puts so much of herself into it. The passion behind her movements is incredible and I know her routines will be something I remember for a long long time.

 

Emily Wong (Nebraska-2014)
Emily has always been a bundle of joy on this event. Her smile is infectious and I feel like the choreography matches her personality perfectly- relaxed and fun! The second half of this routine was recycled from last year because Emily loved it so much (and so do we!). The crowd really gets into her routine and you can tell that Emily loves every second as well! It's so much fun to watch and clap along with!



Bridget Sloan (Florida-2013) 
I remember liking this routine from the moment I saw it. I think it's partially because Bridget is a gorgeous dancer and partially because the music and choreography is so dramatic. It's a pretty intense routine and Bridget nailed it every single time. When you combine flawless tumbling, with music that's easy for the crowd to clap along with; you've got yourself an A+ routine! I had a hard time deciding which routine I liked better, this routine or her one from this year. Both are equally as captivating!

 

Vanessa Zamarripa (UCLA-2013) 
The special thing about this routine is that it's not something you would expect to see in college gymnastics. I mean how many college athletes can pull off a catchy and fun floor routine to elevator music?! The more and more I watched this routine, the more I loved it! Vanessa is so calm and cool. Her dancing and tumbling look effortless and relaxed. I like how this performance is so unique compared to the routines we see from every other college gymnast.

10 Things You Don't Know About...Ari Agrapides

1. I have a twin sister named Alexis.
2. My dad owns a diner.
3. My cousin, Demetri Martin is a famous comedian and actor.
4. I was born a premature baby at 3lbs- 1oz.
5. I love the movie stick it!
6. My favorite color is lime green.
7. I started homeschooling when I was in the 5th grade.
8. My dad named a dish after me at his diner named "Chicken Ariana"
9. When I was three I ran into a TV and broke my nose!
10. I love the store Abercrombie.

10 Things You Don't Know About:

Victoria Moors

Ragan Smith

Laurie Hernandez

Sarah Finnegan
Ellie Downie
Vanasia Bradley
Jazmyn Foberg
Deanne Soza

NCAA Championships Prelims- Session 1 Preview

It's the most exciting part of the college gymnastics season and it's finally upon us- the 2014 NCAA National Championships! Now that Regionals is over and we know which teams have qualified, it's time to start thinking about who could realistically make the Super Six. We start with the first session which will include Oklahoma, LSU, Georgia, Michigan, Stanford and Illinois. Remember only the top three teams will advance. 

Oklahoma is in great shape to advance to the Super Six again this year. They've looked great all season long and average a 197.513!  The Sooners are pretty consistent across the board and are capable of scoring 49.500 or higher on every event. They will start on beam during prelims, which could be a big advantage. They will be able to get that event out of the way early and bring up the energy and finish strong on floor, vault, and bars. Baring any serious slip ups, Oklahoma should have no problem finishing in the top three and propelling themselves to the Super Six. They just need to be calm and cool like they usually are. 

The leaders: Taylor Spears who is capable of scoring 9.9+ on every event as well as Hayley Scaman who has scored three 10's this season (twice on floor, once on vault) 

LSU is in the same boat. They've had a phenominal season- averaging a 197.496 and have huge scoring potential thanks to the depth in their lineups. LSU's strongest events are vault and floor where they've scored nothing below a 49.400 all season. The Tigers will begin their prelim competition on a bye before heading to floor and vault. They will then go on another bye before ending the competition on bars and beam, where they are also capable of high scores.

The leader: Rheagan Courville placed 2nd AA at last years NCAA's and also took home the vault title. She has been ranked in the top 3 AA all season long.

Georgia is a strong candidate for the Super six, but not a lock. They have been good this season- they average a 197.029, but they have to be solid in order to fend off their other competitors...mainly Michigan who recently beat them for the Regional title. Georgia starts prelims on vault and will compete in the traditional "Olympic order" (vault, bars, beam and floor) which could be an advantage for them. At Regionals, Georgia had to make some lineup changes due to a minor injury from Brittany Rogers who only competed on bars. If Brittany is back strong for Nationals the Gym Dawgs can look to potentially post a high team total and make the Super Six!

The leader: Lindsay Cheek competes on vault, bars, and beam where she typically brings in scores of 9.9+ every week.

Stanford had a really impressive showing at Regionals last weekend where they posted a 197.275 which was their highest score all season and proved to be contenders this year. Stanford will start their quest on the floor and will end on a bye after beam. If Stanford wants to sneak into one of those three spots- they have to be better then they have been for most of this season. They only average a 196.400, which is significantly lower than the rest of their competitors. 

Michigan is coming into this meet looking for redemption. They haven't made the Super Six since 2011 and missed qualifying last year by just over 3 tenths. Michigan averages a 196.791 and is capable of scoring in the mid 197's if they hit. Michigan will have the same rotation order as last year, starting on bars and ending on a bye after vault. Similar to Regionals, the Wolverines will be looking to pick up some extra tenths wherever they can to make up for the lose of Austin Sheppard, who typically scores in the 9.95-9.975 range on vault and the 9.850-9.9 range on bars. They will also face the same challenge they've had all season long in the second roatation- the balance beam. When they hit, they have no problem scoring 49.300+, however they really have to minimize all those small bobbles and bring in some big scores. After the second roatation, we should have a good idea if Michigan is in it to win it!

The leader: Joanna Sampson is the reigning National Champion on floor! She will be looking to contribute scores over 9.9 on every event and hopefully snag that all around title as well. (She was 3rd last year!) 

Illinois has returned to Nationals for the second consecutive year which is a big accomplishment for them. Although they are a good team, I don't think qualifying to the Super Six is a very realistic goal for them at this point in time. They only average a 196.204, and don't have very much depth in their lineups. The Illini will start prelims on a bye before heading to bars, which is a good event for them to start on! 

The leader: Amber See, who is capable of scoring 9.9 or higher on vault, beam, and floor! 

Nicole Artz- The Astonishing Freshman

It's been a stellar season for eighteen year old Nicole Artz, who graduated high school a year early to join the Michigan Wolverines this season. Despite her age, Nicole (Nico for short) has become some what of a superstar for the University of Michigan with her dependability and maturity leading the way- something that's rare for someone with so little experience. Nicole, who is the 2012 JO National Floor Champion, made her collegiate debut by taking home the balance beam title and 2nd on floor (behind the reigning national floor champion Joanna Sampson) in the first meet of the season. She went on to take home several more titles throughout the season, including two uneven bar titles; an event she wasn't even expected to be competing on this season! Nicole's strongest event is floor, where she opens with a sky-high piked full in and almost always scores over 9.9, but she's also rock solid on beam, which is a place where Michigan could use some high scores.

Halfway through the season Nicole began competing as an all around gymnast. She has scored 9.9 or higher on three of the four events this season, with floor being the highest (9.950). Most recently she won the all around title at the Regional Championships with a score of 39.325. Nicole was also named Big 10 Freshman of the Year, after winning the Big 10 Freshman of the Week title four times this season. Nicole's consistency week in and week out has played a big part in gaining the role of "all around gymnast" this year. It's impressive to note that she's hit 42 out of 43 routines this season- not to shabby for someone who is only a freshman!

Catching up with Olympic Champion Catalina Ponor

Catalina Ponor is gymnastics royalty. With five Olympic medals and a plethora of World and European titles, Catalina is easily one of the greatest Romanian gymnasts of all time. She first emerged onto the scene in 2003, winning three silver medals at the World Championships. The following year she upgraded those silvers for gold by winning the team, beam, and floor titles at the European Championships and the Olympic Games! Throughout the next two years she claimed many more World titles before retiring at the end of 2007. Ponor surprised many when she decided to make a comeback in 2011. She went on to win two more Olympic medals at the London games (bronze with the Romanian team and silver on floor) and two more European titles (team and beam). We caught up with Catalina to reflect back on her gymnastics career and find out what she has been up to today.

How did you get started in gymnastics?
I remember I was with my grandma, holding her hand on the street, and we passed the gym. I didn't know what was inside there, but I was pushing my grandma to go inside! I was calling that building "school" because at four years old I didn't know what gymnastics was. So I convinced my grandma,we went inside the gym, and I fell in love when I saw all those events. It was like a fantastic world for me.

Who were your gymnastics idols growing up?
In the beginning I had many idols. My first idol was Nadia Comaneci because everybody knew about her. My mom was showing me Nadia's competitions and I wanted to be like her. After that I started to like [Lavinia] Milosovici's style; very focused, concentrated and powerful. And the elegance of Khorkina! With all these girls being my idols, I tried to mix it and make a new gymnast named Ponor. I don't know if that worked, but at least I tried!

You trained with the legendary Octavian Bellu and his wife Mariana Bitang, what were they like? 
They were exactly like they should be- strict in the gym and good people outside of the gym.

As a young gymnast, did you ever anticipate that you'd have the success you had?
When I started gymnastics I didn't know what kind of career I would have, but I was always dreaming to be a champion. I worked hard in the gym to archive that- to see myself in a big competition in first place.

You won a gold medal on every event you competed in Athens, how did your country react to your success? 
What happened in Athens was fantastic! It was more than a dream, something that you can not describe in words. Romania was reacting exactly how I was expecting- they were happy for me and cheering! The most impressive thing to see was the Romanian people in the arena crying and jumping along with us! So thanks Romania for your support!

You retired in 2007 and made a comeback in 2011, can you talk about that decision? 
When I retired in 2007 it was because I had problems with my back. I had two hernias which I still have to this day. Unfortunately I couldn't go to Beijing, but I really wanted to make a second Olympics and I was so sad because of that. I said to myself that I will never come back in the gym again! So I went two years only stepping in the gym to see my coaches. Eventually I decided to start coaching in the USA and one day I received an email from Mariana Bitang saying that they came back to coaching in gymnastics, so I was happy for them, but at the same time I wanted to come back and I also didn't! So I went back home and one day I woke up and told my mom I will start practicing again- and of course my mom started laughing!

How was 2004 different from 2012 in terms of preparation and expectations? 
Well in 2004 I was well prepared. I knew that I had been training for thirteen years for that moment and I was sure that I would do a good job there. I wasn't afraid of anything! People didn't know me too much and  I didn't have any pressure on me. In 2012, I was mature and I knew that if I came back, people would expect me to have the same results or at least to be as good as I was. So it was very hard for me to fight with my body, to fight with myself, to fight with 99% of the people around the world that couldn't trust in my thoughts that I could make a comeback after four years at home doing nothing, and to fight with the new generation and the new code of points.

So did you have high expectations for yourself in London? 
In London I didn't regret anything and said that I leave this sport with my chin up and proud of myself. Maybe I had more expectations on beam, but competitions are competitions and you never know what can happen and if it will be a bad day. I had many health problems in that time too, so I just wanted to finish the competition healthy.

During the beam finals in London, were you aware of the inquiry happening for Aly Raisman's score? 
On the results it said my name in 3rd and everyone was coming up to me saying congratulations. Soon after they made the appeal, that's when I knew it was gonna change. I did make a big mistake that you normally don't see. So I'm not gonna blame the judges, the coach, or the gymnast. That day I didn't eat anything and I was very light on the event and sometimes you cannot control your moves because of that. To be honest I was very mad at myself, because again, without that mistake, I could have got a medal very easy.

What has been the highlight of your career? 
Athens! It is and always will be the most beautiful moment from my career. Its something that not only I won't forget, but I don't think the gymnastics fans will either.



What is one thing that not many people know about you?
If they don't know, that means I don't want to say it! I'm kidding [laughs] I don't know, maybe the fact that I'm a different person outside the gym; a happy and kind person.

So are you officially retired or can we expect another comeback soon?
[Laughs] I've been asked this question many times and I can finally understand it because you never know when my craziness can come back and go in the gym! For now, I'm happy will all my projects and soon a new project will arrive, but I can't say more then that. For a comeback in gymnastics, I don't know! Maybe yes, maybe no. Never say never! The most important thing is to be healthy, even if I miss it a lot.

What have you been up to today?
I'm a co-designer for leotards for a french company called Decathon. I can say that we already see results! Of course we are just starting out, but soon we will start growing!

And lastly, what's one piece of advice you would give an aspiring young gymnast?
Never give up if you want to achieve your goals!

Thank you Catalina, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.