Before I forget I wanted to document the girls scores for the VIGs New Year’s Opener held the weekend of January 5th. It was a L-O-N-G weekend and we traveled up and down the highway both days because initially Marie also had a cheer competition that Sunday. It ended up getting cancelled on Wednesday or Thursday of that week.
Montana competed in her first ever Level 4 meet. It was so fun to watch her out on the floor. She was really excited and loved every part except getting her hair curled. I had forgotten how much hair she truly does have after putting over 50 curlers in her hair! I also had to wash and style Mikayla’s hair that Friday night also. No curlers for her because she is at the Optional level this year, LOVE IT! I do however, have to wash it and braid a side French braid in. I also braid her ponytail so that it crimps her hair, otherwise it is too long on the nape of her neck. The other option would be to bun it, but she prefers to wear the ponytail.
We headed out for the meet at 530AM Saturday morning. I normally do not sleep well the night before meets. I have this fear of oversleeping even though I have 4 different alarms set. Yeah, I know…I am weird :-) Anyways, I was up at 330AM and got myself dressed and ready, breakfast made and snacks to take to the meet. Mikayla woke up at 4AM and I had to send her back to bed…she was excited for her meet later in the day. At 5AM I woke everybody up and they got dressed and headed to the van. The funny thing is that Montana thought we were taking a train because my friend Amy and I were talking about the “train” (van) leaving the station at 530AM. Traffic was not bad at all and we ended up getting to the meet site at 715AM. Check in was not until 745AM, but I like to be early and give the girls a chance to get settled and whatnot.
Montana was in the first session at 8AM in the 6-8YO group. She ended up competing on vault and floor. For her first ever meet we were so proud of her to just get out there and show us what she can do. She had a few wobbles and bobbles on floor and she did not throw her round-off back handspring but all in all it was a great start to the Level 4 career. Next meet she will be competing 3 events (4 if we can get her back hip circle down on bars). Montana was so happy to get her first USAG ribbons a red and a green. She has her eye on the Blue ribbons which you get for a 9.00 and higher and also a individual event medal. She will get it, she is very determined!
Vault ~ 8.450 (9th in session)
Bars ~ DNC
Beam ~ DNC
Floor ~ 6.775
AA ~ 15.225
Mikayla competed in the session immediately following Montana’s in the 8-11YO group. She had not fueled her body or gotten enough rest and it showed. I blame myself and I will make sure she is prepared better from now on. First up for her was beam where she uncharacteristically FROZE. From a mother’s standpoint it was horrible. The room stopped and I sat there in my seat praying for her. To move. All around me I could hear the encouraging cheers from our teammates parents and the Lt., but I was locked in a tunnel on the edge of my seat about to vomit…seriously! Her series on the beam that she had so solid had stumped her that day. I was expecting a horrible score because she was way over time, but was pleasantly surprised at the 7.100. When she dismounted I gave her an encouraging smile and nod of the head for her to regroup and move on. Floor was next. It was a nervous day for me as I worried about her music not playing correctly as they had issues with several other gymnasts. A small mistake was made in her pirouette but otherwise floor went well. Vault was vault with no surprises. It is the same vault she has been doing since Level 5 so her and her training mate are chomping at the bit to do something harder. Lastly, She went to bars and during warm up she kept cast-handstanding over the top bar. From past experience I never know what to think of this. Normally she has that out of her system come performance time…but not this day. She tried valiantly 3 times to do her Giant, Giant, fly-away dismount, she just did not have enough strength to make it over. On the last attempt she made it to about 99.8 degrees, if the wind would have blown she would have went over. Another nod and smile from me in the stands. The hardest part of the day was telling her that she did not qualify for the State meet like she thought. She missed it by 0.425 points. It was a valuable learning experience for us all…she will be ready next meet.
Vault ~ 9.250 (9th)
Bars ~ 6.800
Beam ~ 7.100
Floor ~ 8.925
AA ~ 32.075 (16th)
We got home on Saturday around 630PM and I knew I still had to curl Madison’s hair. I was physically spent but I pushed through so that she would be ready for her day on Sunday. Thankfully, she was in the 3rd session in the 12YO age group that started in the early afternoon so we did not need to leave for the meet until 2PM. We slept in which did a world of good for everybody. I was still a ball of nerves as I knew that Madison was not going to be doing her back walkover on the beam or the fly-away dismount on the bars. She had a deadline to get one of these skills by mid-January or she was going to be moved back down to the Level 5 team. There was nothing I could physically do for her but just to be an encourager and help her get over the mental block. I think that is the hardest part because you know your child can do this skill, you have seen them do it before hundreds of times. {I will say that Madison is a very strong willed child. She will do something on her own time. You can not persuade her, which made the waiting even harder. I am happy to say that she has conquered the fear of the the back walkover on the high competition beam and will be staying a Level 6 for the rest of the season. YAY!} Okay, back to the last meet. She started on Vault first which is her specialty since she grew a three inches last season. With her long, lanky slender lines her vault is beautiful and effortless to me. Of course the Judges and Coaches see the corrections she has to make, but it is perfect to me :-) and she could very well be in contention for a title at State. I held my breath as her group moved on to bars and beam. There again I sat praying that she would release the Bar and flip over in the tuck position and/or do a back walkover on the 4-inch Beam… but it was not to be at this meet. She was especially wobbly on the beam which cost her a qualification to the State meet. Rounding out the meet was the Floor exercise and again those beautiful long lines came into play. Madison is quite graceful on the floor and a powerful tumbler. Her round off backhandspring back tuck is really high and fun to watch especially because she sticks the landing 9 times out of 10. Like Mikayla she missed qualifying to the State meet by 1.225 points, however, this is the second meet in a row where she has placed 1st on Vault and Floor and she was on cloud 9 the whole way home.
Vault ~ 9.400 (1st)
Bars ~ 6.100
Beam ~ 6.700
Floor ~ 9.075 (1st)
AA ~ 31.275(8th)
This coming weekend Madison & Mikayla have another shot at qualifying for the State meet, and Montana a chance to qualify for Sectionals. They have been so focused at practice this week and working hard. I am praying for calmness for me this weekend as I sit in the stands.
*team photos taken during practice by Publicity chair
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