Beam ? la Gremaud
3/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
March 25, 2002
She started gymnastics because she was too restless in ballet class at the age of three, but junior Missouri gymnast Leah Gremaud has been anything but restless for her team this year, providing solid scores on three of the four events for the Tigers throughout the season.
Gremaud, a native of St. Peters, Missouri, specializes in bars, floor and beam and has been a dominating force in all three events for the team during competition, fueling a record setting year for the Tigers.
"I just know what job I have to do," Gremaud says. "I'm out there to do it for the team. That's motivation enough for me, to have everyone backing you up and cheering for you."
As the season winds to a close, however, Gremaud is not afraid of what the future holds next year for the talented and young Tiger squad.
"Right now we have lot of team unity," she said. "And next year I hope that having the new freshmen add to it will give us more depth and make the team as a whole better."
Coming off one of the best years in the school's history, the Tigers are looking to Gremaud for leadership and skill in her final senior season. Her score of a 9.925 on the balance beam at this year's Cat Classic won her back-to-back top honors two seasons in a row, a feat accomplished by only one other gymnast in Missouri history.
"To me it shows how much working hard in practice pays off," Gremaud says. "I do it so it can count as a team score. I don't go out there to do it for myself and so I can win."
The Tigers' team score will suffer next year with the loss of Sophomore beam specialist Terri Baker to a knee injury and Junior Laura Anson to a concussion.
"It's made us use our depth as a team," Leah says. "I know Terri will be working with the team next year and she's great to encourage everyone."
The Tigers refuse to be shaken by their loss and are determined to continue their excellence next year with four hot recruits from around the country to add to their roster.
Gremaud says she sees great potential for the team and knows that they will do great things together.
"This past weekend against Iowa State was the highlight of the season for me," she says. "Because we had a school record, but we had a fall within that, so that shows the potential we have as a team to do well."
Not only is she dedicated to helping her team improve and achieve its goals, but Gremaud also diligently pursues her own individual excellence on the floor.
"I've improved a lot on floor this year," she says. "On bars I've improved so much since the beginning of the year when I was having problems. My teammates are there to encourage me a lot and my coaches have taught me to have confidence in my own skills."
It is those teammates and coaches that Gremaud is honored to join on the floor as they represent what she calls one of the best teams in school history.
"My highest point in my gymnastics career was my freshman year and this year when we set the school record for a team total at a meet," she says. "That to me just shows that we've been part of the best team at Mizzou."
Now that she's added her two cents worth and left her legacy at the Hearnes Center, Gremaud is preparing to graduate next May with a degree in nursing and pursue graduate school and possibly returning home to St. Peters.
No matter what she does Gremaud has contributed to her team and has led the Tigers on their drive to nationals. Even if she doesn't make it there, Leah knows that she has done her part and helped her team achieve its goals, which she says is ultimately the most important thing.
"We had a poster up in the gym with all our goals listed on it. We wanted to make 24 out of 24 routines at every meet," she says. "At nationals we want to be represented and go and compete, not just be there. This season's gone really well."
