WOMEN'S GYMNASTS DISCUSS FIRST COLLEGIATE MEET

WOMEN'S GYMNASTS DISCUSS FIRST COLLEGIATE MEET

Katie Walsch was one of four Dukes making their collegiate debut last weekend

Harrisonburg, Va. (1/28/2005) - This past Saturday marked the collegiate debut of four members of the Women's Gymnastics team at JMU. Sophomores Katie Walsch (Finksburg, MD/Westminster) and Lindsey Heine (Ambler, PA/Wissahickon) and freshmen Erika Gunerman (New Milford, CT/New Milford) and Melissa Morganstern (Falmouth, Maine/Falmouth) all competed in purple and gold for the first time at the meet hosted by Rutgers University. The Dukes ended up splitting the meet, losing to Rutgers but beating the team from SUNY Cortland. Morganstern was featured in three events, the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Walsch, Heine, and Gunerman made their debuts on vault, uneven bars, and floor exercise respectively.

The girls thought that the meet went well for the first one of the season. “It was a good first meet,” said Heine. “We're all getting used to competing again.”

Coach Roger Burke agrees. “I think they did well. There's always room to improve and things will get better once they're through the nerves and that usually takes a meet or two.”

The collegiate competitive environment is one that is a welcome change for all four competitors. All came into college from the Club or private gym environment where the emphasis is on individual performance. The hardest part, according to Burke, is for the girls to make that transition from Club to the team environment. They are now competing for twenty-one other girls and what they do in competition affects all of them and not just themselves individually. The Rutgers meet gave the girls a positive feel for this change. “It (college) is a different experience from Club,” said Morganstern, “Here you have the whole team's support. You're representing the team rather than yourself.”

That support is a confidence boost for all the girls. “The support from my team helps me to be more confident when I'm out there,” said Walsch.

For Walsch and Heine, this meet was a year in the making. Both were injured last season and were unable to compete but remained part of the team. “I've always felt part of the team,” said Walsch, “But it was nice to have the last piece of the puzzle (being able to compete).”

Heine agreed. “It was definitely worth the wait.”

Nerves were not a huge factor for any of the girls. All expressed more excitement than nervousness in being able to compete for the first time. “I was nervous a few weeks prior to the meet,” says Gunerman, “but it wore off as the meet got closer.” One thing that helped all the girls was the veterans of the team. While there was no specific advice given to them, all four girls said that the older members of the team were really supportive of them and encouraged them to go out and have fun during competition.

Making their collegiate debut easier was the fact that their first meet was away rather than at home. “There's extra pressure at home,” said Walsch, “This way you also get the whole experience of co