Oct. 21, 2004
Q. What do you do in your free time?
A. I watch movies and attend MU sporting events. I really enjoy watching the other Missouri teams compete.
Q. What is your major and how did you become interested in it?
A. My first choice would have been to major in criminal justice, but Mizzou doesn't offer a degree in that subject. Instead I decided to pursue a degree in my second choice, General Agriculture.
Q. When did you start gymnastics, and what first interested you in the sport?
A. I was three and a half years old, and my brother was involved in gymnastics. I wanted to be like him, so I begged my mom to let me try the sport.
Q. What is your favorite event?
A. My favorite event is the uneven bars, because it is the most physically and mentally challenging event that I have to perform.
Q. What is your favorite gymnastics skill to perform?
A. My favorite skill is a full out on the floor exercise, actually any element that incorporates a full out into it. A full out is a skill in which the gymnast performs a double flip, and also a twist during the second flip.
Q. What is your favorite personal gymnastics moment?
A. My favorite individual moment was winning the North Central Region all-around title as a freshman.
Q. What is your favorite gymnastics moment outside of your own career?
A. It was great to be able to watch my former club teammates compete in the 2004 Olympics.
Q. What made you decide to come to MU?
A. I wanted to stay close to home, and Columbia is very close to Bates City, Missouri, where I'm from originally.
Q. What do you like about college gymnastics, and how is it different than competing for your club team, Great American Gymnastics Express?
A. Competing in college gymnastics is very different from club. I feel that I have more freedom to choose the skills and gymnastic elements that I want to perform. There is better communication with the coaches, and they have more respect for your opinion.
Q. Where is your favorite place to compete?
A. I love competing at home, but specifically during the Cat Classic. The crowd is incredibly pumped up as they cheer for us.
Q. You can perform a variety of different vaults in competition. With what vaults are you able to compete?
A. I can currently compete three to four vaults with a start value of 10.0. Three of those vaults are Yurchenkos: a Yurchenko full, a Yurchenko one and a half, and a Yurchenko Arabian. A Yurchenko vault is a round-off entry onto the board and a back handspring onto the horse, and the difference between the three vaults that I can do lies in what happens after I vault off the horse. A full is a full twist in the layout, a one and a half is a twist and a half, and an Arabian is a half twist off the board, meaning that I am facing forward for the landing. The other vault with which I can compete is a front pike half, which is simply a front handspring with a front pike layout, which means that my body is bent 90 degrees while keeping my legs straight, then a half twist at the end.
Q. If you could play another sport, which one would you choose?
A. I was a power tumbler in high school. In 2001 I competed at the World Championships and finished in fifth place.
Q. Will you continue to compete in gymnastics after you graduate from college?
A. Most likely not, but I might get back into power tumbling if my body is up to the task.
Q. What is an unique fact about you in the gym?
A. I don't really have a reason for it, but I match my eye makeup to my leotards.
Q. What are you going to do after college?
A. I will probably coach gymnastics. I still want the sport to be a part of my life after I quit competing.
Q. How has preseason practice gone so far?
A. It is a lot harder than it has been in previous years, but I think the difficult practices will help us in the long run.