OTW at Magical Classic

The Level 8 Team and OTW's Level 10s competed at this year's Magical Classic Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 23rd. They began arriving in Orlando on the 20th and 21st. The day before the meet, they gathered for some team fun in the pool and lake. The 8s competed in the Saturday morning session, the 10s in the evening. There were a lot of highly talented gymnasts from many states, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, etc. One Level 8 girl from North Carolina scored a 37.6. Her lowest score was a 9.25. Sakes! It wasn't hard too feel like the small frog in a large pond.

The meet rules required "teams" to be made up of four gymnasts. That meant OTW's 8s would be two mini-teams. With the last minute empty spot on the roster, Paul tapped Jamie to fill the gap. She had been a solid 7 and had just started working on some Level 8 skills. Our girls started out on Beam. It was still giving them some trouble. LaNaya pulled off a very clean Beam routine, however, to score a 9.15 and win the silver medal on that event. Floor went better. Allison, Alyssa, Jess and Kayla all turned in 9s on floor. Courtney took home a medal for floor too. Jamie scored a very respectable 8.80 on Floor, having put a couple B skills into her Level 7 routine. Vault was a mixed bag. Kayla shone, as usual, with her Tsuk, scoring a 9.475 and taking the silver medal for Vault. Jess, Melinda and Alyssa also had good vaults and took home medals to prove it. Jamie tried her hand at a full on Vault and scored an 8.5 Bars was being judged rather strictly, so few scores were high. Yet, Alyssa took 1st place on Bars with a 9.30. Kayla and LaNaya also took home medals for Bars. In the All-Around, Alyssa took 2nd.

The OTW team scored a 107.15 overall, which took 8th place out of 22 teams counted. This means they brought home a Tinkerbell trophy! The scoring was pretty close. 3rd place through 8th place were all in the 107s. 1st and 2nd in the 108s. Hats off to the whole Level 8 Team for their efforts and especially Jamie for her willingness to compete as 8-for-a-day.

The Level 10 session, Saturday evening, featured some amazing gymnasts doing incredible things. OTW's own Bri and Becca were right in there with them. Both had outstanding Vaults. Bri scored a 9.30, tying for 2nd place. Becca scored a 9.40, taking 3rd in her age group. On Bars, they both placed 6th. On Beam, Becca scored a 9.125, tying her for 5th. Bri took 7th. On Floor, the heat was on again. Bri scored a 9.075, tying for the silver. Becca scored a 9.125, taking 4th. In their respective age group All-Arounds, Bri placed 5th. Becca took 3rd, with a 36.175. Most of the Level 8 team were on hand to cheer their 10s on, and see some great gymnastics.

It was neat to see Bri and Becca holding their own amid such an obviously talented field of gymnasts. Thanks, Bri and Becca.

Everyone's return schedule differed, so it will be a little while before the whole team is back together again in NH. They're sure to have some stories to tell.

Sectional 1: All headed for States

The Level 7 Team and Level 8 Team had their first Section of the year, held at Tristar in Dover. The 7s started out on Beam and it gave them a little trouble. Nonetheless, Madison turned in a clean routine to score a 9.175, good for 2nd place. On Floor all of the 7s put in placing performances. Jamie took 1st in the 15+ age group. Amanda and Mackenzie took 1st and 2nd with a 9.20 and 9.175. Madison took 1st in the 12-yr-old group with a 9.25, Morgan took 3rd. The OTW 7s owned the Vault. They took 1st in every age group. Highlights include Amanda's 9.50, Madison's 9.35 and Mackenzie's 9.30. By the time Bars came around, the team was getting tired, but they still had some kick left. Morgan took 1st place with a 9.175. Jamie took 1st too, with a 9.15. Mackenzie and Madison both took 2nds. In the All Around, all the 7s placed highly. Madison, Mackenzie and Jamie took 1st in their age groups. Morgan and Amanda were beside them in 2nd and 3rd.
All five of them qualified for States. Their hypothetical team score of 109.550 suggests that they'll be a team to watch at States.

The Level 8 Team was having a mixed day, but overall keeping up the high mark they'd set for themselves at the recent invitationals. On Vault, all of the 8s were up for ribbons. In the 13-14 age group, OTW dominated the winner's platform. Kayla took 1st, Allison and Alyssa tied for 2nd. Courtney took 5th. In the 15+ group, Jess took 1st, LaNaya and Melinda tied for 4th. On Bars, OTW was again at the top of the platform. Alyssa took 1st, Allison 2nd, Kayla 3rd and Courtney 4th. In the 15+, LaNaya took 1st, Melinda 3rd, Jess 5th. On Beam, Allison took 1st with a 9.325. Alyssa 2nd with a 9.275. LaNaya took 4th. Floor wasn't quite the powerplay it usually has been, but Alyssa took 2nd with a 9.30, Kayla 3rd with a 9.225. Jess took 3rd with a 9.075. In the All Around, OTW blue & white filled the platform (yet again). Alyssa took 1st, Allison 2nd, Kayla 3rd, Courtney 6th. In the 15+ group, LaNaya took 1st, Jess 3rd. All the 8s present qualified for States!
Despite being short one of their strong team mates, Shilanna, their hypothetical team score of 108.875 was only a little off their previous totals. If they keep this up, the OTW 8s could be contenders for a strong showing at States.

Compulsories getting sharper

OTW's Level 5 Team was having a good day at the local qualifier held at Granite State in Bow. Scores looked a little low on Vault overall, but Hanna took 2nd with an 8.70, Emma 3rd with an 8.60. Hope took 1st in the 11-12 yr old group with an 8.65. On Bars, the team had some struggles, but some excellent routines too. Hanna took 1st with a 9.35, Emma took 3rd with a 9.20. Hope took 1st with a 9.40. On Beam, they got even stronger. In the 9-10 yr old group, they swept the top three slots. Allie took 1st with a 9.35, Emma 2nd and Hanna 3rd. Cassie turned in her score of the meet on Beam too. On Floor, they swept again, but shuffled positions. Hanna 1st, Emma 2nd, Allie 3rd, Sydney 5th. An OTW girl topped the podium in both age groups. Hanna took 1st, Emma 2nd, in the 9-10s. Hope took 1st in the 11-12s. These three also scored All Arounds in the 36s. Impressive performance 5s. You're looking like contenders for a high finish at States.
OTW's Level 6 Team was gathering quite a harvest of blue ribbons themselves. Nicole took home a blue ribbon on all four events, most notable being her 9.40 on Beam. In the 9-10 age group, Emily took 1st on Vault and Bars (9.15), 3rd and 2nd on Beam and Floor, 1st in the All Around. Jackie took 3rd on Vault, 1st on Beam wit ha 9.50(!) and 3rd on Floor, to secure 2nd in the All Around. In the 11-12 group, Ally took 3rd on Bars, 1st on Beam with a 9.20 and 1st on Floor. She took 1st in her All Around. Anne took 2nd in the 13+ group on Vault, Bars and 3rd on Floor. She placed 3rd in the All Around. The Level 6 Team is a good mix of skills on the four events. Looking good 6s!

Watching UNH at Fox Run

Many of the OTW team girls went to watch the Fox Run Invitational on Saturday night. There was Wild E. Cat, of course, who wanted "five". Talented gymnasts were on hand from UNH, Penn State, William and Mary and Yale. There were many amazing moves to watch, many of which elicited, "Oh cool," or "Whoa, did you see that!?" sorts of comments from the girls.

In the first rotation, UNH had some very good Vault scores. Penn State was having a good run on Beam. Yale was plagued by falls on Bars. William & Mary was having some difficulties on Floor. After the first rotation, Penn State and UNH were virtually tied for the lead. In the second rotation, UNH had a pretty good day on Bars, but Penn State was having just a little bit better day on Floor. At the end of Rotation 2, Penn State was ahead by .9 points. In the third rotation, Penn State was looking very good on Vault. UNH was doing well on Beam, but a few wobbles kept their scores just a bit behind Penn's. At the end of Rotation 3, Penn State had pulled ahead by almost a point and a half. That was a pretty wide gap to make up on just one event. In the last rotation, Penn State was looking solid on Bars, but lacked the flair which UNH had shown. Meanwhile, UNH was having a very strong showing on Floor. In the end, UNH had closed the gap to only a point, but Penn State took 1st with 195.275. UNH took 2nd with 194.225.

In the individual awards, UNH's Helena Diodati took 1st on Vault with a 9.9. Kelsey Alwin tied for 2nd on Bars. Taryn LaFontain tied for 3rd on Beam with a 9.775 and tied for 1st on Floor with a 9.875. It was a great night of some great gymnastics.

First Sectional Highlights

OTW's compulsory teams had their first Sectional of the Spring '08 season this weekend at Granite State in Bow. After a couple of out-of-state invitationals, this was the girls' chance to get focused on the state competition again.
The Level 4 Team were quite the tigers. All of them easily qualified for States, but went above and beyond that. Maddy took 1st on Vault. Jordan scored a 9.25. On Bars, Jordan scored another 9.25, taking 1st. Maddy and Summer shared 2nd. On Beam, the whole team was hot -- all of them scoring in the 9s. Ellie, 9.00, Summer 9.025, Maddy a 9.20, Emma a 9.35 and Jordan a 9.475. Sakes! On Floor, the team put up some more impressive scores. Maddy took 1st with a 9.425. Emma racked up a 9.50. In the 9-10 age group, the OTW girls swept the platform with Jordan, Maddy and Summer taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Emma took 1st in the younger group.
The Level 5 Team also took home many ribbons. On Beam, Hope placed 1st, Emma tied for 3rd, Hanna took 4th. On Vault, it was Hanna's turn to take the blue ribbon, Hope took 2nd in her age group. Emma took 3rd. On Beam, Allie wowed the judges, taking 1st with a whopping 9.50. Hope again took 1st in her age group. Emma took 3rd with a 9.025. It was on Floor that the whole Level 5 Team hit their stride. Everyone placed. Hope took 1st (again). Hanna took 2nd with a 9.15. Emma and Madison tied for 4th with a 9.05. Allie took 3rd with a 9.075. Sydney took 6th.
The Level 6 Team had its ups and downs but also brought home a harvest of ribbons, many of them blue. Ann took 1st on all events in her age group. On Vault, Allie tied for 1st. Emily took 6th. On Bars, Allie took 2nd, Emily 7th. On Beam, Nicole took 1st in her age group, Jackie 5th, Allie 1st (with a 9.20). On Floor, Jackie took 1st with a 9.125, Allie took 2nd. Both Ann and Allie took 1st in their All Arounds. Nicole and Jackie took 2nds in theirs.

Good work girls.

(Thanks to Fred, Pat and Mary for the scores and placings. Thanks to Pat for the photo)