Gymnastics: Burdette Signs Three Recruits
November 19, 2004 08:32 AM | General
November 19, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University gymnastics coach Linda Burdette today announced that three gymnasts signed their national letters of intent for the 2005-06 academic year. Burdette received signatures from Heather Izer, Mehgan Morris and Erica Watson.
“We are very pleased with this recruiting class,” Burdette said. “All the girls have national experience.”
Izer, a New Jersey native who currently resides in Charlotte, N.C., is a sixth-year Level 10 gymnast. An alternate for junior nationals in 2002, Izer trains at International Gymnastics in Matthews, N.C., and is coached by Suzie Revels. Izer is an honor roll student at Providence High School in Charlotte and plans on majoring in nursing at WVU.
“We’ve watched Heather for awhile,” Burdette said. “She is very strong on the floor and beam and will help us tremendously.”
Morris, a Belle, W.Va., native, is also a sixth-year Level 10 gymnast having won four state titles and last year’s Region VII Championships in the all-around before placing 18th at junior nationals. Just the second West Virginia native to win the Region VII all-around championship, Morris finished first place on the floor exercise and second on the vault. She also won the all-around in the 17-and-older division at the Arnold Classic fitness expo last year.
“It’ll be exciting to have someone from the home state,” Burdette said. “We’ve watched her for her entire career and it’s going to be a pleasure to coach her.”
A honor student at Riverside High School, Morris boasts a 4.5 grade-point average. She trains at the Flip Flop Shop in Ripley, W.Va., and is coached by Susan Brown and gym co-owners Dave and Ronda Studivon.
Watson, who hails from Levittown, Pa., is a fifth-year Level 10 gymnast having qualified for junior nationals four times, including a third-place finish in the all-around in 2003. The 2000 New Jersey state champion trains in Mt. Laurel, N.J., at the Will-Moor School of Gymnastics and is coached by Valentina Pintchouk, Kim Bonus and Craig Tetreault.
“Erica is extremely strong on all four events,” Burdette said. “She’s very competitive and she doesn’t have a weak event.”
Watson is an honor-roll student at Pennsbury High School and plans on majoring in elementary education with an emphasis in special education at WVU.
