“Sports 101: All-around, always about team at DU gymnastics” plus 1 more |
| Sports 101: All-around, always about team at DU gymnastics Posted: 06 Jan 2011 12:14 AM PST  DU gymnast Brianna Springer eyes the bar during Tuesday's practice. The Pioneers open the season Saturday. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post ) Every four years, women's gymnastics typically is the most-watched sport of the summer Olympics. Every year, Colorado's best gymnastics takes place at the University of Denver. The Pioneers, the mid-major role models of elite-level college gymnastics, have Olympic-caliber gymnasts and compete against the NCAA's best teams. Ranked No. 16 nationally, DU begins its season Saturday, hosting a quad meet that includes No. 7 Georgia, Brigham Young and Air Force. Olympian Alicia Sacramone, who placed fourth in vault at the 2008 Beijing Games, will be DU's guest of honor at the first of two meets at Magness Arena. In October, Sacramone won her first world championship title on vault. The 23-year-old is dating Broncos third-string quarterback Brady Quinn. "There's nothing like the Olympics, because the drama — you train your whole life for those two, three, five, six minutes that you get to do your routines at that one time, and that one time has got to count for a chance to medal, and it only comes around once every four years," DU coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said. "On the flip side, going to one of our meets or the NCAA nationals, you not only get to see the high level of gymnastics, the high level of difficulty, but you get to see athletes that have different type of maturity — physically, emotionally and mentally — and you're getting to see them work with their team. You don't necessarily see teamwork in an international elite setting. In college, they're not just doing it for themselves, but they're representing their teammates, their coaches, their universities." NCAA and Olympic routines are the same — balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars and vault — but scoring is slightly different. There are different start values based on difficulty, among other complicated formulas. "Olympic-type routines are rewarded for the most difficulty while NCAA routines are difficult but have a balance between artistry and difficulty," DU assistant coach Jay Hogue said. Another difference between DU's gymnasts and the ones training for the 2012 London Games is that college gymnasts have plenty of free time outside the gym. The NCAA limits the amount of training time for student-athletes, while Olympic hopefuls usually follow day-long routines. DU is led by senior Annamari Maaranen, junior Brianna Springer and sophomore Simona Castro. As a freshman, Maaranen qualified for the 2008 Olympics for Finland, but tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in February of that year. Springer, from Arvada and Ralston Valley High School, finished 11th in all-around at last year's NCAA championships and has international dreams of competing as a USA specialist in uneven bars and balance beam. Castro is a 2012 Olympic all-around hopeful for Chile. Freshman Melodie Pulgarin of Spain is also hoping to qualify for the London Games. Former star all-arounder Jessica Lopez competed in the 2008 Games for Venezuela. "I think a lot of people get the inspiration when they're young and they see the Olympians on TV. I know that's how I got inspired when I was little," Springer said. "At some point, you have to look at your future and college education. A lot of people shoot for college from the beginning. In general, there is a team competition (in the Olympics) but in college the sole purpose is your team. That is what is very different from elite gymnastics, where you train by yourself." Because of her knee injury, Maaranen no longer competes in all-around. But she's thrilled to have the opportunity to still be competing. "The knee injury and missing the Olympics was definitely disappointing, not just for me, but my country," she said. "But I got to come to Denver, continue my gymnastics career and go to school at the same time and build a future for myself. "Back home we don't have college sports, only elite, and if you want to excel in athletics and academics at the same time, it's a very difficult combination." Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com Top teams2011 women's gymnastics preseason coaches' poll (with first- place points in parentheses): Rank Total points Other teams receiving votes: West Virginia, Michigan State, Central Michigan, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Iowa, Kent State, North Carolina, Maryland-College Park, Utah State, Western Michigan, Illinois State, New Hampshire, BYU, Pittsburgh, S.E. Missouri, UIC, San Jose State. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Posted: 06 Jan 2011 11:02 PM PST Inside the Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center during an off hour, the mood is subdued; the light glows through the windows and onto the vacant competition stations. I see no puffs or marks of chalk on the beam, vault or uneven bars. No thumping of tumbling fills my ears. It isn't like walking into Reser Stadium or Truax Indoor, the places I spent my time last spring and fall. "What have I chosen to cover?" I say to myself. After tackling the football beat, this was starting to look like a few ticks down my "awesome meter." But the ladies started trickling in - each one smiley and petite - and the coaches began preparing in their office for the day's duties. I notice gymnasts giggle, yell, clap or hop like hyper active children, and as I stand by the door waiting for my first interviews, the scene is all too entertaining. And I begin thinking this isn't an odd sport to cover; it's a fun sport to cover. I feel the expectation growing as "you're-the-new-reporter" looks swing my way. Did I forget the team is ranked No. 8 in the country? Did I forget these athletes pull thousands of attendees each meet, and that the attendees love their gymnastics? No, I just didn't know. Suddenly, I find myself outside a world filtered by ESPN coverage and goals of high-paying professional careers. Oregon State University gymnastics, instead, is a world of contagious attitudes - all bubbly and fiery - and potential Olympians who love to entertain a crowd. I keep hearing the Corvallis community does love its gymnastics team. As one fan and former OSU student told me, "It's a religion, and I'm a disciple." I'm beginning to understand the addiction. My first taste of this new culture came in November at the Black & Orange Exhibition. Even amongst an ultra-modest attendance of 200 fans, I felt an energy trying to pull me out of reporting mode and into fan mode. And it wasn't because of my school affiliation, but because the families and groups of friends around me were genuinely enjoying the spectacle - a simple exhibition, not an actual competition. Watching the athletes showcase their skills on each apparatus blew my mind, and I wanted to cheer out of sheer amazement. No reporter would be able to sit in a chair and watch them without widened eyes and a half-opened mouth. Most of our bodies cannot cope with the types of leaps, bounces, swings and extensions gymnasts' bodies can, and it baffles me. Between fall 2007 and 2010, I walked past Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center without any appreciation for what was happening inside the old wooden walls. Now as I pass, I look at the entry doors and feel a need to take a look at the day's action. Inside Gladys Valley is inspiration - inspiration for stories and news to spread. It's a writer's delight. Anthony Casson, sports writer This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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