Motionwear || Gymnastics Blog

I Am So Looking Forward to the Finals

Posted on 03. Apr, 2009 by Kathe Jones.

Everyone is stoked for March Madness, but those aren’t the finals I’m talking about. Instead, I’m looking forward to the 2009 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships. It’s a great opportunity to watch world-class gymnastics an event that energizes my April every year.

Regional selections were announced on March 23rd and I couldn’t be more excited. There are six teams, five all-around competitors and one individual event specialist (per event) for each of the six regions. These teams will compete regionally on or before April 04th and then go on to the Nationals April 16-18 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The regional team competitors for this year are:

West Region – in Seattle, Washington (University of Washington, host)

1. Utah
2. Auburn
3. Illinois
4. Boise State
5. Washington
6. San Jose State

North Central Region – in Iowa City, Iowa (University of Iowa, host)

1. Florida
2. UCLA
3. Minnesota
4. Denver
5. Iowa State
6. Iowa

South Central Region – in Fayetteville, Arkansas (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, host)

1. Stanford
2. Arkansas
3. Michigan
4. Arizona
5. Southern Utah
6. Arizona State

Central Region – in Columbus, Ohio (The Ohio State University, host)

1. LSU
2. Oregon State
3. Ohio State
4. Kent State
5. Kentucky
6. Michigan State

Northeast Region – in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, host)

1. Alabama
2. Oklahoma
3. Missouri
4. Central Michigan
5. New Hampshire
6. Maryland

Southeast Region – in Raleigh, North Carolina (North Carolina State University, host)

1. Georgia
2. Penn State
3. Nebraska
4. West Virginia
5. North Carolina State
6. North Carolina

If you’re interested in purchasing tickets for a regional event in your area, contact the hosting school or visit their website. For the NCAA Gymnastics Championship in Lincoln, Nebraska, visit the University of Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office or call them at 800-8BIGRED (800-824-4733).

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Shout Out to the Illinois Judges

Posted on 05. Mar, 2009 by Kathe Jones.

I want to give a big shout-out to the Illinois National Association of Womens Gymnastic’s Judges for donating their time yet again at this year’s Illinois Judges Cup.

We – MotionWear Gymnastics – did some jackets for the judges as well as black tank tops for each registered gymnast. The judges show off their jackets in the photo here – they say “Illinois Judges Cup” with a skyline of Chicago and a gymnast atop one of the buildings. Seeing them in this picture makes me wish I had kept one.

If you don’t know what the Illinois Judges Cup is, it’s a gymnastics competition organized by the Illinois NAWGJ (Illinois National Association of Womens Gymnastic’s Judges). Every year, the Illinois Judges donate their time to this event to help athletes start their season off right. The organization also gives verbal communication back to the gymnasts and coaches to be better prepared for the next competition.

Much of the proceeds, after paying for the facility, go to scholarships for gymnasts. It’s a fantastic way of giving back to Illinois gymnastics and to the community and I’m so glad we could be a part of it!

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Meet Two of The Stars of the Tyson American Cup 2009

Posted on 20. Feb, 2009 by Kathe Jones.

I hope you plan on watching the Tyson American Cup. This year it is being held close to home in Hoffman Estates, just outside of Chicago on February 21st, 2009. It promises to be a great chance to get up close and personal with the country’s best gymnastic athletes.

This year, I have my eye on two gymnasts in particular – Bridget Sloan and Jordyn Weiber. Both, incredible athletes.

Bridget, of course, is expected to be the cornerstone of the national team after winning silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She’s pretty impressive for a high school sophomore and she surely won’t disappoint at the Tyson.

When not watching Sloan, I’ll have my eye on Jordyn Weiber. At only 13, this is Weiber’s first national adult championship (she’s the 2008 U.S. Junior National Champion). The young star has a reputation for difficult tricks and hard stunts. I am looking forward to seeing her pull out all of them at the Tyson.

Are you watching anyone in particular? Do you have a favorite? Share them in the comments section.

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