Gymnastics: Two Commit to Mountaineers
November 14, 2011 04:29 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University gymnastics coach Jason Butts announced today that Gina Costa and Jaida Lawrence have signed national letters of intent to compete at WVU next fall.
“I’m very excited about this class because both gymnasts bring great personalities and exceptional skills with them,” says Butts. “They are both proven commodities in the Junior Olympics community and have competed very well at international, national and regional competitions.”
Costa, a native of Los Altos, Calif., is a three-time Junior Olympics national qualifier and level 10 gymnast out of Airborne Gymnastics. A solid, all-around athlete, she recently finished first in the all-around and on vault and bars at the 2011 California State Championships. She also won the all-around, vault, floor and bars competitions, as well as placed second on beam, at the 2011 Fiesta Championships. The all-around champion at the 2009 Region 1 Championships, Costa finished in eighth place on bars at the 2009 Junior Olympics National Championships.
The coaches believe that Costa’s ability to remain cool under pressure, as well as her upbeat personality, should benefit her in college gymnastics, and they expect her to compete in every event while in a Mountaineer uniform.
Lawrence, a Rocky Hill, Conn., native, is a four-time Junior Olympics national qualifier. A member of the 2011 Jamaican World Team, she recently competed at this year’s World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo. Though she did not qualify for an Olympic bid with the Jamaican team at the championships, she remains in the running to compete in a final qualifying event this January in London. A level 10 gymnast out of New England Gymnastics Express, Lawrence has scored a 9.875 vault in the Junior Olympics program.
A dynamic gymnast with skills to impress the judges and the crowd on every event, the Mountaineer coaches expect Lawrence to have an immediate impact on the team’s success.
“Gina and Jaida have national and international experience that should help them flourish here at West Virginia,” says Butts. “Their collective success should help represent the Mountaineers on a national stage. We’re excited to add their potential to our team.”
“I’m very excited about this class because both gymnasts bring great personalities and exceptional skills with them,” says Butts. “They are both proven commodities in the Junior Olympics community and have competed very well at international, national and regional competitions.”
Costa, a native of Los Altos, Calif., is a three-time Junior Olympics national qualifier and level 10 gymnast out of Airborne Gymnastics. A solid, all-around athlete, she recently finished first in the all-around and on vault and bars at the 2011 California State Championships. She also won the all-around, vault, floor and bars competitions, as well as placed second on beam, at the 2011 Fiesta Championships. The all-around champion at the 2009 Region 1 Championships, Costa finished in eighth place on bars at the 2009 Junior Olympics National Championships.
The coaches believe that Costa’s ability to remain cool under pressure, as well as her upbeat personality, should benefit her in college gymnastics, and they expect her to compete in every event while in a Mountaineer uniform.
Lawrence, a Rocky Hill, Conn., native, is a four-time Junior Olympics national qualifier. A member of the 2011 Jamaican World Team, she recently competed at this year’s World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo. Though she did not qualify for an Olympic bid with the Jamaican team at the championships, she remains in the running to compete in a final qualifying event this January in London. A level 10 gymnast out of New England Gymnastics Express, Lawrence has scored a 9.875 vault in the Junior Olympics program.
A dynamic gymnast with skills to impress the judges and the crowd on every event, the Mountaineer coaches expect Lawrence to have an immediate impact on the team’s success.
“Gina and Jaida have national and international experience that should help them flourish here at West Virginia,” says Butts. “Their collective success should help represent the Mountaineers on a national stage. We’re excited to add their potential to our team.”
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