Docksiders Gymnasts Achieve
Elite Status
Docksiders gymnasts Stephanie Ouellette
and Krystal Welsh have both decided it is time to take the next step in
gymnastics and test the waters at the Elite Level. There are typically less
than about 150 elite gymnasts across the country, and every 4 years the top 7
are chosen to represent the United States at the Olympic Games.
Training at the
Elite Level is the most intense level of gymnastics. The level of difficulty is
incredibly high, and the expectation for perfection has to become automatic.
Elite level training in any sport is not for everyone, but for those who desire
to compete at that level and have what it takes to get there, the journey can be
very exciting.
To earn the right to compete at the Elite level the girls had to attend qualifying competitions for both compulsory, where all of the competitors perform the same skills on each event, and optional routines. After training their new routines for only a few weeks the two girls went to their first compulsory competition and both did very well. Both achieved the qualifying score of a 33.0 All Around for the National Elite program. Stephanie scored a 34.10 All Around and Krystal scored a 34.65. The following weekend on June 16th
Krystal Welsh they traveled to the Parkettes Gymnastics National
Training Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania to compete in
the
Regional Elite Qualifier. The optional round was a little confusing
because the judging was with a new scoring system where each event starts from a 20.0. Both
girls performed well and achieved the necessary score to qualify for the Elite
US Challenge Competition in Kansas City, Missouri at the end of July. The All
Around score needed in the optional competition to qualify for the National
Elite program, and to earn a spot at the Challenge competition, is a 48.0.
Stephanie scored a 52.0, which also qualified her for the International Elite
Program, and Krystal, who was just coming back from a foot injury, scored a
48.05 in her first optional competition since February.
In the next few weeks the girls will be working hard to perfect and polish every detail in their routines. They hope to go in to the US Challenge Meet and do well enough to get noticed by the National Training Staff. Their ultimate goals for this season are to earn an invitation to a National Training Camp in Houston, Texas in the fall and to gain International Elite status.
Stephanie Ouellette
For more information regarding Docksiders Gymnastics and the programs offered, check out our website at www.docksidersgymnastics.com.
