2013-14 WOMEN S GYMNASTICS OHIO STATE WOMEN S GYMNASTICS FRIENDS & FAMILY Hi Buckeye Gymnastics Friends & Family! We hope you ve enjoyed your fall, and are getting ready for some wonderful holidays this winter! Here in Columbus, it was beautiful during football season, and we re starting to get some snow! I know the girls are happy to be finished with their classes now to not have to walk as much outside! The team has been very busy helping out in the community, having fun with several team activities, and working hard both in the gym and in the classroom! The 2014 season looks like it s going to be an incredible one! Inside this newsletter, you ll also find the details on our FIVE NEW BUCKEYES! We are so excited to announce the additions of Megan Feltham, Heather Hannon, Taylor Harrison, Lexy Mattern, and Stefanie Merkle to our 2014-15 roster! This group of incredibly talented young ladies will help ensure that Ohio State Gymnastics will remain one of the top programs in the nation. Finally, you will get an inside look at the team from Sophomore Maggie Dunn, and see lots of pictures that the team members themselves took in the past few months! The girls are excited to share this upcoming season with you, and we are so grateful to have your support. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to support Ohio State Women s Gymnastics! GO BUCKS! Wishing you a Warm & Wonderful Holiday Season, Carey, Bill & Meredith 1
WHAT THE GYMBUCKS HAVE BEEN UP TO! FUN IN THE FALL 2 Community Service 2nd & 7 The girls have continued to participate in the 2nd & 7 Foundation, an organization aimed at promoting literacy to 2nd graders in the Columbus area. Pairs of gymnasts go to these elementary school classrooms to read and distribute books written by the 2nd & 7 Foundation, and wind up being the stars of the show as these young children simply LOVE Buckeye athletes! Cooking Class October 11th Who s the Top Chef? Our team was able to find out when our team nutritionist, and former gymnast, Nicole (Krauter) Jontony arranged a cooking class/competition! Jim Warner, an executive chef at OSU, led the girls in a Top Chef inspired cooking class where they all had the task of preparing a healthy meal that included chicken, pasta, and asparagus, and then whatever other ingredients they chose from his collection. The girls were split into pairs, and judged taste-tested each meal. All of the girls learned a lot about how to use new and different ingredients, and how to simply cook for themselves in general! In the end, Senior Alex DeLuca and Freshman Tenille Funches were the big winners. Varsity O Jacket Ceremony October 22nd Each year, gymnasts who competed in at least half of the regular season meets are awarded a Varsity Letter, and a gift that is associated with their outstanding performance. As freshmen, the gift is a Varsity O Jacket. All freshmen letter winners are invited to a special dinner and ceremony at the football stadium where they are formally presented with their jackets. This fall, current sophomores Rachel Abrams, Maggie Dunn, Maddie Herr, and Audrey Tolbert received their jackets for their contributions to the team during the 2013 season. Congratulations ladies! Pumpkin Patch & Carving October 24th On Thursday, October 24th, we surprised the girls with a day off practice to head to a local pumpkin patch together and pick out pumpkins! The girls had a blast and enjoyed a little break and some team bonding. The following weekend, they gathered together before the OSU vs. PSU football game to carve their pumpkins and prepare for Halloween! A Very Sharey Halloween Our team paired up with the fraternity Phi Sigma Epsilon to participate in the event, A Very Sharey Halloween on October 27th. The girls loaded up busses and then walked around the Columbus area, going door to door to collect canned goods for those less fortunate sort of like Trick-Or- Treating for a cause! Fall Break November 7-11th After a long and busy pre-season, the girls had some well-deserved time off to catch up on school work and rest! Several of the girls enjoyed the opportunity to go home and spend some quality time with family. Freshman Michelle Burns even traveled across the country to her cousin s wedding in California! The girls returned to campus feeling fresh and strong to finish out the semester, and pre-season! Winter Clinic December 14th On a snowy Saturday, nearly 60 young gymnast filled Steelwood Athletic Training Center to get a quick touch-up for their competition season with our coaches and team members! The team dressed up in holiday attire and coached the local (and not so local!) gymnasts of all ages and levels. It was a big hit! We hope that all who attended have a wonderful competition season, and we hope to see you again at our Camper Reunion Meet against Penn State on Saturday, Feb. 1st.
2013-14 WOMEN S GYMNASTICS Etiquette Dinner - December 18th The team stayed on campus after final exams were over for more training, and during that time, they attended an Etiquette & Networking Dinner as a group at the Ohio Union. Dressed in business casual, the girls learned all about what to do on an interview, how to network, the proper way to dine in a more formal setting, and so much more! And they got to enjoy a delicious dinner together for some extra team bonding. Super Senior Aly Marohn graduated on December 15th with a huge list of honors! The reigning Big Ten Co-Balance Beam Champion and current student assistant coach graduated with a 3.74, making her magna cum laude. Aly also graduated with honors from her major, and was a Scholar-Athlete. Aly plans on moving back to British Columbia after the holidays and hopes to get into coaching college gymnastics in the future. Assistant Coach Meredith Yonushonis had a baby girl, Mary Kathryn, on November 13th. Mary Kate weighted 8 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20 inches long. Big sister Clare and big brother James couldn¹t be more excited, and all is well with baby and Meredith. Mary Kate will be attending all the home meets to cheer on the Buckeyes! 3
PRE-SEASON INTRASQUADS For the past three months, the team has been preparing for the competition season and working extremely hard. The girls started putting together full routines at the end of October, and we began by doing a line-up on one event a day...vault on Monday, Bars on Tuesday, Beam on Thursday, and Floor on Friday. The first round of line-up routines went really well, and we are especially excited about more depth on Vault and Floor this season! The Bar Stars have been polishing up their routines, and the Beam Queens are going to be ready to roll throughout the entire season. Our second intrasquad was even better! All four events took place on the same day, and the girls looked very sharp. Most recently, the team headed over to St. John Arena for a practice in our competition gym. The whole arena was set up for a meet and the girls wore competition leotards to get the real feel of what it will be like in less than one month. We again competed in a bar line-up and beam line-up, and then the team had some open time to train on both floor and vault. It was a great success, and really lit a fire for the team as they got a sneak peek at what season will be like on the floor of St. John. Check out some videos from our intrasquads (below) and you can see the progress the team has made! November: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9rkot_ nm4w&feature=c4-overview&list=uutc5_pl2kksienoyfchzdtg December: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=oxozwnzfffe&feature=c4-overview&list=uutc5_ PL2kKsieNOyfCHzDTg SEASON S SO SOON!! In only THREE WEEKS, the 2014 season will begin! We have a great home-slate in January and February, and hope to see you at several meets! Of the first five competitions, four of them are at home in St. John Arena. Here s a preview of the first four home meets: Sat. 1/11/14 at 4 pm Home vs. Oregon State (#12) and BGSU This tri-meet will have some strong competitions as the Oregon State Beavers travel from across the country and the Bowling Green Falcons travel just down the road! The Beavers are ranked 12th in the coaches pre-season poll, while Ohio State is predicted 19th. Bowling Green finished the 2013 season ranked 48th. We are looking to make a big statement at this first meet, especially after a close loss to the Beavers last year in their home arena. Sun. 1/19/14 at 2 pm Home vs. Rutgers Soon-to-be Big Ten foe Rutgers will travel here for an afternoon dual meet. Rutgers finished the 2013 season ranked 44th. January 19th happens to be National Popcorn Day, so look for some fun promotions with that! The team will also have a post-competition Meet & Greet session. Sat. 2/1/14 at 4 pm Home vs. Penn State (#15) The history of this rivalry runs deep, especially since Coach Fagan and Coach Yonushonis are PSU alumni! PSU has not won in St. John Arena since 2006, and we ll work to continue that trend this year! PSU lost two of its star gymnasts from the 2013 season, and will be relying on their underclassmen to replace them. This will be our Camper Reunion Meet, as well as our annual Friends & Family Reception after the competition! Fri. 2/7/14 at 7 pm Home vs. Minnesota (#14) Minnesota is the reigning Big Ten Regular Season champions, and they finished the 2013 season ranked 8th with their best year in program history. Two of their all-stars are sophomores, so they will likely be another very strong team. Our team is going to step up and show them a tough competition in OUR HOUSE, especially on our special breast cancer awareness night where the team wears their pink leotards. 4
2013-14 WOMEN S GYMNASTICS WELCOME TO OUR FIVE NEW BUCKEYES! Taylor Harrison Taylor is from Suffolk, a Level 10 at World Class Gymnastics, and a senior at Tabb High School. The daughter of Rex & Tami, Taylor is a four-time Junior Olympic Nationals qualifier and was a member of the 2012 Region 7 All-Star team that competed in Germany. Taylor has been the Region 7 Champion on almost every event Uneven Bars in 2013, Floor Exercise in 2012, and Vault in 2011. Taylor is coached by her mother, Tami, who is the gym owner, and was an Olympic Trials gymnast in 1984 and a 10-time All- American for Cal State Fullerton. Megan Feltham Megan is from Lewisburg, PA, but attends Parkettes Gymnastics and is a senior at Allentown Central Catholic High School. The daughter of Glen & Renee, Megan is a two-time Junior Olympic Nationals qualifier. In 2012, she was the Region 7 Balance Beam Champion, and also placed 3rd on Vault. In 2011, she was the Regional Runner-Up on Uneven Bars. Heather Hannon Heather is a former elite gymnast who trains at JPAC Gymnastics in Indianapolis, IN. The daughter of Terry & Donella, Heather is homeschooled and is a three-time Junior Olympic Nationals qualifier. In 2012, Heather placed 3rd AA at the Region 5 Championships, while also picking up 2nd and 3rd place finishes on Balance Beam and Floor Exercise, respectively. Stefanie Merkle Stefanie is from Petersburg, Ontario and is a senior at Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate Academy. The daughter of Dave & Helga, Stefanie trains at Revolution Gymnastics and is a member of the Canadian Senior Elite National Team. In 2013, Stef placed 2nd on Uneven Bars, 3rd on Floor Exercise, and 6th All-Around at the Canadian Championships. She has competed for Canada in France, Belgium, and Germany. Lexy Mattern Lexy is from Harrisburg, PA and attends ASAP Gymnastics while she is a senior at Bishop McDevitt High School. The daughter of Barry & Tabby Mattern, Lexy is a three-time Junior Olympic Nationals qualifier and two-time member of the Region 7 All-Star Team, where she has competed in Germany and France (she actually signed her National Letter of Intent while in France!!). Lexy was the Region 7 All-Around Champion in 2012, and placed 4th at Nationals to qualify to the Junior Olympic National Team. Lexy also qualified to compete in the Nastia Liukin SuperGirl Cup in 2013. Lexy is coached by her father, Barry, who is also the gym owner. 5
BUCKEYE CHAT WITH SOPHOMORE MAGGIE DUNN Hi Friends & Family! My name is Maggie Dunn and I am a sophomore at Ohio State. I hope you are all doing well and getting excited for the holidays! I can t wait to spend some time with my family in Massachusetts! Our team here in Columbus is certainly in the holiday spirit. Since we finished up all of our classes and final exams for the autumn semester, we have a lot of time to spend getting ready for the 2013-2014 season! This being my second year here, I am feeling a lot more confident. As a freshman, I was clueless and confused on a daily basis. Before coming to Ohio State, I never enjoyed being the leader type and I would usually try to let others take charge. This year I am fortunate to say that I am enjoying stepping up and being a leader for the newcomers on our team. I have one season under my belt, so I know what to expect. Last year has fired me up for my sophomore season and I could not be more excited for it to start! For the last four months, our team has been training in our gym and in the weight room to prepare for the upcoming season. It has been a lot of hard work, filled with strength circuits, skill training, and Zumba classes. Being with our teammates through all of our preparation makes the tough days a lot easier. Preseason gives the returning girls an opportunity to be leaders and help out the freshmen as they make this big transition into college. We are very excited have our new freshmen here and can t wait to start the competition season with them! Heading into our last break before season starts, we have been working towards perfecting full routines. In the gym, things are shaping up and we are looking more ready for our season everyday. Last weekend, our team took some time to give back to the local gymnastics community. We held our annual Winter Clinic in our gym and we were given the opportunity to work with, and coach, club gymnasts who are getting ready for their competition season. Staff members dressed in holiday attire (an elf costume and elf ears may have been worn ) and each group of gymnasts was given a different holiday themed group name. This was a fun experience for both the OSU girls and the younger gymnasts who came to our clinic! Our team has been working very hard during preseason and we are heading into this season with confidence! Everyone is ready and excited to get on the competition floor and show off what we have been working so hard for. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and we can t wait to see you in January! 6 GO BUCKS! Maggie Dunn Sophomore
2013-14 WOMEN S GYMNASTICS HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! What are you looking forward to most over the holidays? Jaine - During the holidays, I look forward to celebrating new family traditions at a cabin in Pennsylvania. Michelle - Over the holidays, I always look forward to spending an ample amount of time with my family and friends, creating countless memories. I also look forward to ABC Family s 25 Days of Christmas and the delicious holiday treats! Sam - I look forward to spending time with my family. I don t go home much so I really look forward to seeing my family and hanging out with them for a week. Milly - Spending time with my family, giving gifts, and playing in the snow with my little cousins! Alex - I mostly look forward to some warm weather and spending time with my family. This year my 11 month old niece will be celebrating her first Christmas so it will be a blast! Rachel - I look forward to seeing my family and spending time with them at home and making a lot of delicious desserts. Maddie - I can t wait to make holiday crafts and bake delicious desserts with my mom and grandma! Just relaxing with my family and decorating the tree finally will be fun! What are you most excited for in the 2014 season? Mel - I m most excited to see our team in action and have the freshmen get experience. Season always brings the team closer and everyone has a lot of fun with each other! Maggie - I am really excited for season! The team spirit and school pride at meets are indescribable and I can t wait to start competing with this team! I also really look forward to bus trips and traveling as a team. Tenille - I am most excited for the college experience. There s so much more energy here and it is more about the team than individuals and I want to help my team be successful! Victoria - This season I m most excited for spending more time with my teammates. Traveling is such a great bonding experience and I plan on enjoying my last season with this team to the fullest! Erin - I am most excited to see how a college meet is from down in the arena. I ve been to many college meets while growing up, but now it is my time to be in the arena amidst the energetic atmosphere. I am also excited to feel like I am doing my routines not only for myself, but more importantly for the success of my team. Grady - I am most excited for the team camaraderie and drive that builds over the competition season! 7
MEMBERSHIP FORM Name: Address: (as you would like it to appear for official donor recognition) City: State: Zip: Phone (H): Phone (C): Email : MEMBERSHIP LEVEL Please check the level you are joining and indicate your donation. SCARLET Under $99 GOLD $500-$999 SILVER $100-$499 DIAMOND $1,000+ PAYMENT OPTIONS Type of card: Visa Master Card Discover Name as it appears on the card Card Number Expiration Date Signature Please make checks payable to: The Ohio State University, Women s Gymnastics Project #312892 (memo) Send completed application and donation to: The Ohio State University Women s Gymnastics Team 1160 Steelwood Road Columbus, Ohio 43212 In appreciation of your support, all Friends and Family program members will receive invitations to exclusive women s gymnastics events, quarterly e-newsletters, and email updates from the coaching staff throughout the season. To make a contribution online visit https://www.giveto.osu.edu/igive WOMEN S GYMNASTICS FRIENDS AND FAMILY PROGRAM Support Buckeye Women s Gymnastics 8