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Tumblers' Tales: Regaining Focus
February 14, 2016 09:33 AM | Gymnastics
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - There is never a good time to fall in the sport of gymnastics.
West Virginia University sophomore gymnast Jordan Gillette had an almost-perfect rookie campaign with the Mountaineers in 2015. Inserted into the balance beam and floor exercise lineups three meets into the year, she competed a no-fall season – meaning, she hit all 16 of her routines. Even more impressive, all 10 of the beam routines the Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, native competed counted toward the Mountaineers’ team score.
Buoyed by a career-high 9.85 beam score, earned at the season-ending 2015 NCAA Morgantown Regional Championships on April 4, Gillette attacked her offseason workouts, returning to Cary Gym just three days later to begin her self-paced cardio and training sessions.
“I didn’t give myself a break,” the exercise physiology major recalled. “I started working for my sophomore season just days after the regional championships. I came to Cary Gym and continued my conditioning. With my school and practice workload, I’m so used to being busy. My time inside Cary Gym is my escape from class. I needed that.”
She entered her second season wanting more – more competition time and more personal responsibility for the Mountaineers’ success. Fifth-year coach Jason Butts believed Gillette was poised for a strong sophomore campaign, saying at the onset of the season, “Jordan is night-and-day from where she was at this point last year. She’s definitely in on beam and floor right now, and she’s pushing for a spot in the bars lineup. Her confidence is so high right now, and she’s been a rock start in our intrasquads.”
As was the case with many of the Mountaineers, Gillette was solid but not spectacular in the team’s season-opening meet at No. 16 Denver on Jan. 9, finishing fifth on beam with a 9.725 mark and scoring 9.475 on floor.
She hoped to build on her first-week results at the team’s home season opener at the WVU Coliseum against No. 18 New Hampshire on Jan. 17. A special “Beauty & the Beast” meet, nearly 2,400 Mountaineer fans were on hand to see the team open its home campaign.
Then the fall happened.
Competing in the No. 4 position in the team’s beam lineup, Gillette had the table set for her, following three hit routines from teammates. The stumble was not visually alarming, but the end result was stunning for those that closely follow the squad, as no one expected the always-steady gymnast to come off the apparatus.
Gillette also was stunned.
Fortunately for the Mountaineers, senior Audrey Tolbert and freshman Carly Galpin anchored the lineup with hits, and WVU did not have to count Gillette’s score. After composing herself out of the spectators’ view, Gillette rejoined her team and turned her attention to her next task – floor.
“I had to remind myself to focus,” she said of her instant reaction. “I knew I couldn’t do anything more about beam and my team needed me to go out and hit floor. I reminded myself that I have practiced my floor routine more than 1,000 times, and I was capable of hitting it.”
Gillette did not disappoint and took full advantage of the home-crowd support, putting on a show in the No. 2 spot and scoring a career-high 9.85, good enough for a share of second place.
“That was so exciting,” she said through a smile. “I was so happy to be able to give my team the hit they needed.”
The resolve to move past mistakes and strive for self-improvement is Gillette’s calling card. Following the 195.8-195.225 win over the Wildcats, she returned to Cary Gym with the resolution to make it back into the team’s beam lineup.
“It was very heartbreaking,” she said of her stumble. “The fall was so rare, and it tore me apart. Things weren’t immediately the same when we got back in the gym, but (associate head coach) Travis (Doak) and I had a meeting and we worked on my routine. Slowly, I started to feel more confident.”
While Gillette was held out of the lineup on Jan. 24, she knew it was just a matter of time.
A unique bye weekend provided Gillette with an extra two weeks to regain confidence on beam while also training floor and pushing for a lineup spot on uneven bars. She entered the Mountaineers’ two-meet Big 12 Conference road trip last weekend knowing that she would compete on floor and provide depth on beam and bars. Then, with little warning, Gillette’s opportunity to return to the beam lineup was suddenly upon her, as the coaches placed her in the anchor position five minutes before the team was introduced at Iowa State on Feb. 5.
“I wasn’t even in the top eight at Iowa State,” Gillette said. “I warmed up a bit on my own, but I didn’t even really go through the motions during our beam warmups. I was surprised when they told me I was going to compete, but I dug deep and found the confidence I’ve always had on beam.”
As the visiting team, the Mountaineers competed on beam in the fourth rotation, meaning Gillette would be the final gymnast to mount the apparatus that evening. She was solid in her first event of the night, tallying 9.725 on floor. WVU found itself in a battle with the Cyclones late in the meet, trailing 146.275-146.225 after three events. The Mountaineers nearly stole the win on beam, scoring a season-best 48.975. Gillette punctuated a lineup which featured three career-best scores with her own career high, winning 9.875 mark.
She was back.
Gillette continued to soar less than 48 hours later at No. 2 Oklahoma on Feb. 7, as she earned her first career appearance in the Mountaineers’ bars lineup. Competing in the No. 6 position, she anchored with a 9.775 score, the team’s second-highest mark and good enough for a share of seventh place.
“Bars has been an event Jason and I have been working on since last year,” she said. “I had a consistent bars routine, but it wasn’t up to level. I had to focus on the little aspects of my routine. After a lot of work, it just clicked over the summer, and since then, I think I’ve been even more consistent with it.
“Everything happened all at once with bars. I was nervous, especially competing bars at OU and on TV. It was weird to put grips on, to chalk up and then stand there and wait to compete. Then, the routine happened, and it was good, and I got a little emotional at the end.”
She also scored 9.775 on beam and 9.65 on floor. Gillette had successfully redeemed herself from her uncharacteristic fall.
“I’m always trying to improve on the success I’ve had so far and to better myself and my team,” Gillette added. “I don’t want to stay the same – I want to keep climbing. I had a great freshman season, but this year is all about making myself better in the gym, in school and in life. I want to always become a better person.”
Gillette looks to continue her steady ways this afternoon, as she and her teammates compete at No. 4 Alabama, with action set to start at 4 p.m. EST from Coleman Coliseum. As of Sunday morning, she is slated to again compete on all three events.
“I don’t focus on which lineups I’m in because I take everything one day at a time,” she concluded. “Whatever is going to happen will happen. I have to focus on today. Then, whatever happens today will lead into tomorrow. Everything leads into the next thing. I just have to stay focused on the task at hand.”
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