New Faces on Team: Tess

Tess was SOOO ready to be on team she moved from Advanced Pre-Team to the Level 5 Team this year! That is quite the achievement! Tess is a fourth grade student whose favorite event is vault. She was thrilled to place 4th on beam at the Fall Harvest Meet. She received her highest score to date (9.0) on beam at the Halloween meet. Tess enjoyed competing in the first season and is looking forward to competing in the New Year.

Tess really enjoys being on team and has quite the sense of humor. Despite the freezing cold weather Tess volunteered for a canning shift in December. Her constant smile and sense of humor made it a pleasant task. Tess’ favorite day of practice is Friday because she gets to work on all the events. She thinks her teammates especially Caitlin are very funny and help to make practice fun. She also thinks the coaches are funny! Tess said the funniest thing that has happened to her at practice is that her grip slipped and she “flew” off the high bar!

Welcome to team Tess. We look forward to seeing your smiling face in the gym for many, many years!

Snowstorm Classic Meet

It wouldn't be the Snow Storm Classic without snow, and that's just what there was. The saturday sessions were spared blanket of white stuff, but it came early Sunday morning for those sessions to enjoy.

The Level 5s had their high points and struggles. Emily scored her highest on Floor, as did Sarah and Paige. Bars was proving troublesome for all the 5s. Tess had her best showing on Beam.

The Level 6s also had some personal victories and challenges. Ellie scored her best on Bars, as did Jordan. Maddy was impressive on Vault with a 9.30. Allie was also strongest on Vault.

The Level 7s were strongest on Vault. Emma scored a 9.375, taking the silver, while Mikayla scored a 9.175. Both were strong on Bars too, scoring a 9.05 and a 9.025. Beam was problematic for both.

The Level 8s took home some medals and looked strong. Nicole took the silver on Beam with 9.00. Jackie scored her best of the meet on Bars. Ali took the gold on Beam with a 9.10 and silver in the All Around. Jamie took home two silvers for Bars and Beam, and the Bronze in the All Around.

The Level 9s were not having their best meet. Falls and stumbles seemed to haunt them. Nonetheless, the 9s also took home some medals, even with the Atlantic girls dominating on their home turf. Kayla and Allison did great vaults and both took silvers in their age groups, with a 9.30 and 9.275. Alyssa took the Bronze on Beam.

Merry Christmas everyone. Rest up. The crazy meet-filled days of January will soon be upon us.

Level 4 - 6 State Meet - December 5, 2009

The State Meet was held December 5, 2009 in Hampstead. A total of 6 gymnasts, 2 from each level proudly represented Off the Wall.

In the Level 4 6 – 8 age group AA Taylor placed 6th (34.650) and Krystiana placed 8th (34.325). Krystiana’s beautiful floor routine (9.125) won the silver. Her 9.1 vault was awarded 7th place. Taylor placed 5th on vault (9.2), 6th on beam (8.4),and 7th on bars (8.75).

In the Level 5 7-8 age group AA Emily scored 33.0. She placed 7th on beam (8.9) and 8th on floor (8.7). In the Level 5 9 -10 age group AA Caitlin scored 32.250. Caitlin’s totally awesome beam routine won the bronze (9.4)! She placed 8th on floor (8.8).

Maddy and Allie competed in the Level 6 11 – 12 age group. In the AA Maddy scored 33.125 and Allie scored 32.250. Maddy placed 4th on floor (8.925). Allie placed 6th on beam (8.95).

Congratulations on the 2009 season. Best of luck in the 2010 season just around the corner!

Sectional #2 - November 22, 2009

Sectional #2 was held November 22, 2009 in Brentwood. Sectionals are a great opportunity to fine tune routines and see what the competition looks like for the State Meet; so this write-up focuses on the all sessions combined results for each Level. Not only was Krystiana the lone OTW Level 4 competing in this Sectional looking at the results for all sessions combined she was one of the few Level 4s to achieve two scores above 9! Competing against 35 other gymnasts in the 6 – 8 age group representing 8 NH gyms Krystiana placed 9th on vault with a 9.05 and 4th on floor with a 9.075. She finished 18th in the AA with 34.4.


Emily, Tess, Sarah, and Caitlin competed for the Level 5s. In the 7 – 8 age group Emily placed 12th AA with a 33.1. She placed 7th on vault with 8.175 and 3rd on beam with 8.975. In the 9 – 10 age group AA Caitlin placed 9th with 33.750, Tess placed 16th with 32.275, and Sarah placed 18th with 31.975. Caitlin placed 3rd (9.15) on beam and 4th (8.8) on floor.

Ellie, Maddy, and Allie competed for the Level 6s. Jordan sat out to rest her knee. Ellie placed 9th AA in the 9 -10 age group. She placed 2nd (8.5) on bars. In the 11 – 12 age group AA Maddy placed 7th (34.175) and Allie placed 10th (33.55). Maddy won the gold with a beautiful 9.175 floor routine. She also placed 4th on bars (8.4). Allie’s awesome beam routine (9.05) was awarded 5th place. She also placed 6th (8.55) on floor.

Great job girls! We are looking forward to your achievements at the State Meet.

Snowflake Meet: Diamond in the Rough

The OTW Optional girls had a surprising win at this 2nd annual Snowflake meet at Granite State. The combined teams took home the first place trophy, topping Gym-Ken and Tri-Star's teams. The win was a bit of a surprise in that almost no one was having a "good meet". Falls and stumbles were common. Scores were significantly lower than last year, as tougher skill requirements and stricter judging rules took effect.

Yet, even in this rough context, each of the OTW optionals managed to shine. Every one of them got onto the podium and took home a medal. Together, they shone the brightest, taking home the gymnast-over-the-moon trophy.

In Level 7 Action: Emma, in her first meet as a 7, took 1st on Vault with a 9.20. Mikayla, competing as a 7 for now, took 1st on Bars with a 9.125. She took 2nd in the All Around with a 34.925.

In Level 8 Action: Either Nicole and Jackie were at the top of the platform for each event in the 8-11 year old group. Jackie took 1st place trophy in the All Around with a 35.125. Nicole took home the 2nd place trophy with a 34.000. Ali took 1st on Bars and Floor (a 9.275), and the 2nd place trophy in the All Around. In the 16+ age group, Jamie took home the 3rd place medals in Vault and Bars, and the 2nd place medal on Floor. She took home the 3rd place All Around trophy.

In Level 9 Action: Allison took 1st on Vault in the 14-15 age group. Alyssa took 1st on Bars. Alyssa took the 1st place trophy with a 34.125. Allison took the 2nd place trophy with a 33.650. In the 16+ age group, Kayla took 1st on Vault, Beam and Floor. LaNaya took 2nd on Floor. In the All Around, Kayla took 1st and LaNaya 2nd.

Good going girls. Sure, it was a rough start, but it was a good one! It's hard to argue with 1st place.

Turkey Shoot Invitational - Nov 8, 2009

The Turkey Sh0ot Invitational kicked off bright and early on November 8th in Bow, New Hampshire. The Level 4s continued to demonstrate their vaulting skills. Krystiana received a 9.175 (2nd), Taylor 8.7, and Danielle 8.4. Krystiana’s scores were consistent throughout the meet, as was Danielle’s determination and winning smile! Krystiana scored 8.3 (3rd) bars, 8.35 (4th) beam, and 8.3 (3rd) floor. Taylor’s beautiful beam routine was awarded an 8.8. Krystiana placed 3rd AA and Taylor placed 5th.

For the Level 5s Sarah placed 5th in the 9-10 age group and Caitlin placed 6th. Sarah placed 4th on vault (8.4) and bars (8.1) and 5th on beam (7.55). Caitlin’s awesome beam routine was awarded an 8.95 (3rd). She placed 4th on floor (8.25).

The Level 6s were very excited to place 3rd as a team. They also are proud to have first place champions on vault, bars, and beam. Summer placed 1st (8.8) on vault in the 11 - 12 Junior age group and Maddy placed 1st (9.075) in the 11 - 12 Junior Plus age group. Allie also competing in the 11-12 Junior Plus age group placed 1st on bars (8.375) and beam with a whopping score of 9.475! In the age 9-10 age group Ellie placed 3rd AA. She placed 2nd on vault (8.475) and bars (8.375) and 3rd on beam (8.625). Maddy and Allie tied for 4th place (7.95) on floor. Allie placed 2nd AA and Maddy placed 4th. Great job girls!

Halloween Meet - November 1, 2009

The Level 4s dressed as the three blind mice enjoyed their first Halloween Meet on November 1, 2009 in Dover. Krystianna placed 6th in the Ghost age group. She placed 3rd on beam and bars scoring a 9.5! for her outstanding beam routine and an 8.85 for her floor routine. She placed 6th AA with a 34.4. Taylor placed 7th with an awesome 9.1 vault. She placed 10th in the AA with a 33.650. Danielle placed 13th AA in the Goblin age group with a 30.97. She placed 7th on vault with a score of 8.8.

Emily placed 8th in the Level 5 Ghost age group with an AA of 31.875. The rest of the team completed in the Gremlin age group. Caitlin placed 3rd on beam (9.125) with a beautiful routine. Tess followed closely behind with a beautiful routine as well. She placed 5th with a 9.0. Caitlin also scored the team’s highest vault 8.70 (4th) and floor 8.6 (7th) scores.

For the Level 6s Ellie competed in the Ghost age group. The rest of the team competed in the Gremlin age group. Ellie placed 4th on beam with an 8.5 and 9th AA with a 31.5. Maddy (8.8), Jordan (8.65), and Summer (8.625) placed 3rd, 4th, and 5th on vault. Allie followed closely behind placing 8th with an 8.325. Allie also placed 1st with a beautiful 8.925 beam routine and 4th with the team’s highest bar score (7.85). Maddy placed 4th on beam with a 8.6 and 2nd on floor with an 8.725.

Special thanks to Kristin (Krystianna's Mom) for scores and photos. Parents: Please remember to send meet scores and photos to Micheal or Rita as soon as possible so the blog can be kept up to date.

Sectional #1 - October 18, 2009

Sectional #1 was a nail biter with 6 girls competing and many more in the audience to cheer them on. Taylor (9.0275) and Kiystianna (9.075) were neck and neck on vault. Krystianna scored a 9.075 on beam and came close to achieving a third nine with her beautiful 8.95 floor routine. Taylor’s AA score was 33.225 and Krystianna’s was 34.750. Both are thrilled to have qualified for the State Meet in December. Great job girls!

For the Level 5s Emily’s high score for the day was 8.65 on floor. The Level 6s highest score of the day was achieved by Maddy. Her awesome vault (8.975) earned he 2nd place. Jordan placed 3rd with an 8.95. Ellie’s high score (8.4) of the day was on vault as well. She placed 6th in the 9-10 age group, and she placed 10th AA. Jordan earned the team’s highest score on bars (8.275) and beam (8.65). In the 11-12 age group Jordan place 7th AA and qualified for the State Meet. Maddy placed 8th AA, but missed qualifying by a few tenths.

The girls are looking forward to getting a couple more local qualifiers under their belt before the next Sectional. Sectional #2 is scheduled for November 21–22 2009. The State meet is schedule for December 6th.

Harvest Meet - A Great Start:

The OTW Level 4 – 6 Teams kicked off the Winter 09-10 competitive season this weekend at GBC’s annual Harvest Meet. The girls were anxious and happy as they warmed up bright and early Sunday morning. They were looking forward to showing off their new routines and skills; and were thrilled for their teammates Krystianna, Danielle, Taylor, Caitlin, and Tess who were making their competitive debut.

The Level 4 Team was awesome on vault! Krystianna took 1st with a 9.525! Danielle (8.925) and Taylor (8.9) joined her on the podium collecting ribbons for their 4th and 5th place vaults. Krystianna placed first on floor as well. Her beautiful routine was rewarded with a 9.05! Krystianna placed 3rd All Around with a whopping 34.4!

The Level 5 Team was hot on beam, floor, and vault. In the 7 - 8 age group, Emily took first on beam (8.75) and floor (8.7)! Emily placed 2nd All Around with a 32.15. In the 9 – 11 age group Sarah was 4th on vault with a 8.525 and Tess was 4th on beam with 8.850.

The Level 6 Team was hot, hot, hot on vault! They swept the podium with Jordan placing 1st ( 8.95), Maddy 2nd (8.85), Ellie 3rd (8.75), and Summer 4th (8.625)! Maddy’s rock solid performance in the remaining events resulted in 3 more ribbons! She placed 1st on floor with a 9.025, 5th on beam with an 8.50, and 3rd in the All Around with a 33.425. Despite extremely tough judging Ellie placed 5th on bars – definitely something to be proud of!

At the end of the meet OTW claimed the 4th place Team Award. Great job girls! You are off to an awesome start!

New Faces On Team: Taylor

Taylor has recently moved from the OTW Advanced Pre-Team to the Level 4 Team. She has been a gymnast for 4 years, but has always had gymnastics in her life. Her sister Jessica, now a college student, was on last year’s OTW Level 8 Team and her sister Jamie is on this year’s Level 8 Team. Taylor is 7 years old and is in Second Grade. Hannah Montana is both her favorite movie and her favorite TV show. Her favorite food is ice cream.

Taylor is “very excited” to be on Team. She enjoyed the Pre-Team meets she competed in last year and is looking forward to “competing in more meets”. She is especially looking forward to competing in her favorite event - vault. Welcome to Team Taylor! We are looking forward to you competing in more meets as well!

New Faces On Team: Krystiana

Krystiana is a new face on the OTW Level 4 Team, but not a new face in the gym. She is a second grade student that has been involved in gymnastics for three of her six years! Very impressive! Krystiana loves leotards and couldn't wait to pose for pictures in her new competition leotard. Her favorite event is floor. Some of her other favorites include the movie "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and the TV Show "The Wizards of Waverly Place". Her favorite food is lobster which she says is yummmy!!

Krystiana gives two thumbs up when talking about her move from Pre-Team to the Level 4 Team. Her smile is absolutely huge when recalling how excited she was to get a locker, and a beautiful new competition leotard and warm-up suit. Krystiana is "looking forward to spending more time at the gym with all of the Team girls". Congratulations Krystiana and welcome to Team. We can't wait to see your beautiful smile at practice and on the competition floor.

Summer Camp - Week 4

Watching warm-up and the morning meeting you can tell the girls have the summer camp routine down pat. They are in perfect step during Coach Becky's morning dance routine and they even take their own attendance! Yup that’s right, instead of the traditional daily attendance where Coach Paul calls each girl’s name and each girl responds positively somehow indicating that she is present, the girls sound off in order (they know who they are after) just saying “here”. If there is a pause in the “here”, “here”, “here” rhythm Coach Paul notes the absence and the sound off begins again. Its strange to observe, but a very quick way to complete the morning roll call. Efficiency experts would love that model!

There were a couple of surprises in the Wednesday morning announcements; not only was Tuesday’s last place team in first place, but each of the team totals were only tenths apart. Usually the first and second place teams lead the third and fourth place teams by a couple of points – but not this week!

The midweek handstand challenge of one minute and twenty seconds on the rail was also close. The last click of the stop watch showed the girls surpassed that goal by a whole second! Phewww! No push ups!

Thursday it was to time to empty the pit and rid it of blocks that have seen better days and those annoying loose block particles that sink to the bottom and manage to fly up and land right in the gymnasts eyes from time to time. Looking around the gym you could gymnasts creatively outfitted in surgical masks, sunglasses, and even swim goggles to avoid the "pit stuff". You could also see creative ways off moving the blocks from the pit to the sidelines. These included Miss Liz's beloved parachute, blankets, trash bags, and towels. Once the pit was emptied everyone was happy to see the dreaded pit stuff swept up and removed. With that done Coach Paul was able to perform routine maintenance on the submerged sub pump and dehumidifier. Once everything was in good working order the girls tossed the blocks back in. Wow.....its truly incredible to see the depth of the pit and how many blocks it takes to fill it. It was also incredible to see how hard everyone worked and the team spirit that made light work of this huge task. Great job everyone! Its awesome to have a nice clean, fluffy pit ready for the last day of camp and the fall season - which is just a few weeks away!