Amanda Montgomery

For this practice, the focus was on balance beam and uneven bars in preparation for the upcoming Ghosts and Goblins intrasquad.  Later on, some of the Tide gymnasts worked on floor choreography and timing, as well as conditioning runs in between the dance elements.  Here are some of the skills observed during this practice sequence:

Ashley Miles (Senior): Wolf full jump on the beam, switch leap to switch side leap combination; gainer back handspring to layout step-out; switch leap to Korbut; double twist dismount.  On the bars Ashley was throwing the Shaposhnikova transition move and the Hindorff release, as well as several double tuck timers to prep for the double layout.  

Mari-Christine Bayer (Senior): Front aerial to back handspring to Korbut; standing split scale pose, held for about 2 seconds; switch leap ½ turn; switch leap to straddle to wolf combination; gainer back pike dismount; reportedly working on a gainer back handspring to double twist.  On the bars she mainly worked on giants and double layout dismount reps.

Dana Filetti (Senior): She rolled her ankle earlier in the week and was mainly working giants on the bars and light dance moves and leaps/jumps on the beam.  She appeared to be moving around comfortably.

Dana Pierce (Senior): She also rolled her ankle earlier in the week during a PE class but was throwing most of her primary skills on uneven bars (giant with a full turn, Tkatchev release, front giants, and a back tuck off the high bar dismount).  On beam we saw the switch split side leap and timers for a back handspring to layout step-out flight series.  Looks like she will keep the same music on floor from last year’s routine (music combination from Back Street Boys, Jet and Drumline).

Ashley Ford

Rachael Delahoussaye (Senior): On beam Rachael showed some new skills, including a flight series of two back handsprings to layout step-out; a pike jump to Korbut combination, switch side leap; she will once again be dismounting with a gainer back pike.

Erin Rightley (Junior): New floor music (Scorchio by Bond) with some terrific new choreography included.  On the balance beam, Erin was all about execution and concentration today, starting with a switch leap to wolf jump combination, a super new flight series of a front aerial to immediate back handspring to layout step-out; switch leap to straddle jump to pike jump combination and a gainer back handspring to full twist dismount, excellent landing.  Very nice performance under pressure.

Terin Humphrey (Sophomore): Beautiful toe on toe off to ½ turn to Markelov release; she has added the Geinger release now to her routine and was practicing stalders to hand stands on the low bar as well; nice double layout dismount observed as well.  On the balance beam, she was not quite as sharp, struggling in the pressure performance part of the beam intrasquad on this date with her flight series (full twisting back handspring to back handspring to layout step-out) and hurrying the Omelianchik just a bit.  She added the front aerial to wolf kick out down onto the beam but was struggling with this as well.  We also saw timers thrown for a double back or double twist dismount.

Kaitlin White (Sophomore): Switch leap to straddle full combination; punch front; back handspring layout step-out; switch side leap (nice height and extension); timers for a double twist dismount.  On the uneven bars, giant with a full turn to Geinger release to immediate pak Salto transition.  Dismount of a giant full turn to double tuck. 

Ashley O'Neal

Amanda Montgomery (Freshman): Form and extension, as well as toe-point have improved on the uneven bars after three weeks.  We saw a nice Geinger release and double tuck dismount reps were looking sharper too.  On the beam, Amanda has some unique combinations, including a front aerial to side aerial and a one-handed back handspring to wolf full.

Ashley O'Neal (Freshman): Flight series of two back handsprings to layout step-out; switch leap to straddle – straddle combination (nice form); punch front; double front dismount.  On the bars she was mainly working a tuck full in dismount into the pits.

Ashley Ford (Freshman): Nice punch front on the beam; straddle full jump; switch leap to straddle to straddle side jump combination (not all the way turned on the final element); back handspring to layout step-out. 

Cassie Martin (Freshman): Ring leap; front aerial to back handspring to layout step-out; switch leap-switch leap combination; switch side leap; double twist dismount.  On the uneven bars, we saw a beautiful Tkatchev to immediate pak Salto combo; she also worked timers for double tuck/double layout dismounts.

Bianca Puello (Freshman): On beam, her skills included a back handspring to layout step-out; switch side leap; full turn; switch leap to straddle jump combo; punch front; double twist dismount. 

Cassie Martin

Courtney Priess (Freshman): Did not catch all of her elements but a few observed on beam included a split full jump (needed a little more extension and amplitude), a punch front, a back handspring to layout step-out; a switch leap to switch side leap combo; switch leap to gainer back pike dismount.   Floor music is from Napoleon Dynamite.

Melanie Banville (Freshman): Her balance beam work on this date was extraordinary, especially the intrasquad routine. She mounted with a straddle uprise to handstand before moving back to a straddle swing down and then back up to another handstand step-out; a beautiful, quick double turn, a back handspring to layout step-out (slightest balance check at the shoulder), an incredible ¾ straddle jump that was landed on a dime; a punch front; straddle full; double pike dismount (one small step back).  There was so much packed into this routine, we know we missed one or two elements.  Subsequent reps over and over were confident and so polished, including the double pike dismounts off the end of the beam.  She is very exciting to watch.  On the bars, she was working the toe-on toe-off to ½ turn on the low bar, lots of toe-off straddle transition moves to the high bars and double layouts. 

Next report will be the Ghosts vs Goblins Intrasquad that takes place Sunday, October 30, 2005 at 1:00 pm in the practice gym.  Be there or be spooked!

Courtney Priess	Erin Rightley
Melanie Banville	Terin Humphrey
Ashley Miles