The national championships are just around the corner. People have been approaching me since my last journal entry and inquiring as to why I have not been writing and when my next entry was going to come out. Well, I have finally caught a moment between class, practice, homework, meetings....you know-all of those typical college student activities... to give a little insight into our team. For those who have visited practice in recent weeks, you probably think that our season is winding down, rather than coming to its climax. We are relaxed, completing our assignments efficiently. It has come to a point where we are executing, as Gwen calls it, "mental gymnastics." We can physically do the routines. Now we must have faith in ourselves to compete as well as we practice. We had an opportunity at the regional championships to prove that we can come back in a rotation and rock the rest of a competition. One reporter asked me if I was nervous about competing on floor after returning from a bye and realizing that we were behind. To this query, I responded that there is no room for nerves when each of us steps out to compete. As for coming back to win, we had to believe in ourselves. As each gymnast nailed her routine, our confidence grew. We had a great group of parents and Medalist Club members to perform for, and once we left floor, Sarah said, "That's the Alabama team I know!" Each competition has taught us valuable lessons, and next week, we will take what we have learned and focus on achieving our goals at the nationals. We look forward to heading out to Salt Lake City. Probably the best news came at the beginning of this week when we learned that though only 13 gymnasts are allowed on the floor, all 15 will be able to travel. Many have commented that this year's team has come together so well. We are pleased to be able to travel together to the most exciting competition of the season. We are also happy and thankful to have the Medalist Club members supporting us in Utah, making us feel like we are at home. We appreciate everyone's dedication to our team. We have earned the chance to compete in Utah. This is true Alabama Gymnastics!

Roll Tide Roll!!!!!