April 29, 2005

Our trip to Regionals began like any other trip, yet for me it was not any other trip and for the team it turned out to be like no other trip before. We loaded the bus like any other away competition, but we were headed to Nebraska for what may be my last meet of the year and of my career. I tried not to think of that and to make it just another competition. I believe this was the mind frame of the rest of the team also. I am sure many had thoughts running through their minds of the ending to last season and our dream of nationals ended in one event. As we entered the weekend, we had one goal and that was to look at this meet as though it were any other with no expectations of ourselves. We only wanted one thing and that was a solid meet. The bus trip to Nebraska was smooth and we enjoyed watching movies the entire trip and the company of our bus driver, Chuck who had been with us on another trip before. As we arrived at the Cornhusker Hotel where we would stay, each of us checked into our rooms and got settled before going to dinner. We met downstairs for dinner which was very good. Then we had our team meeting and went over practice for the next day. We received our passes for the meet and our numbers for our leotards because in post season judges require numbers so they know who you are without having to ask the coaches throughout the meet. The meeting was like most others and then we had time to hang out with each other before curfew. Myself and a few others decided to go to the pool for our free time. For me this was the first time I had been to the pool all season and we had fun splashing each other and just being girls. It was quite chilly when we got out of the pool but it was well worth it. Then I headed to my room and Alisha and I talked for a little while and then went to bed.

The next morning we got up for breakfast and headed down early because we were told it might take a while. For us it did take quite some time and some of the girls who came down after us got their breakfast and left before we finished. We were patient though and that seemed to be the only struggle of the weekend. The team activity for the day was amazing! We got to go putt-putt golfing and go-cart riding. Alisha, Rob, Paul and I headed to one of the holes. My first rounds of golfing were rough with it taking me like 6 putts to get the ball in the hole. My game improved until Paul through my ball in the bushes and decided to tell Alisha that I had hit it backwards. The coaches also urged me to go take one of the balls from another game and I picked a ball not knowing it was Kira's. All in all though the game was very fun with much antics among it. I finally got a hole in one on the last hole and no one believed me because I had hit it before the others came. Go-carting was awesome too and I think this will be one of the team activities that I will remember forever.

Before lunch I talked to Kira because she had asked me to convince her of why I should be put into the beam line-up. For me this was hard because I wanted it so badly for many reasons and putting my thoughts into words is not always the easiest. I gave her what was in my heart and then I left it up to her to make the decision. Katie and Ashley also had to do the same. I think for each of us it was probably a different experience and helped us to look at ourselves in a different perspective. We actually had to encourage ourselves to make it and this is a great quality to carry with us in the future. So I guess thank you to Kira for making me do that even though it was not easy for me. At practice, Kira decided that Katie and I would practice and from that she would decide the 6th person for line-up. No matter what happened I was thankful that I got to practice on that beam because it has many memories for me. Practice for everyone was smooth and foreshadowed the day to come.

Meet day was like most others with our daily trip to the mall and lunch and getting ready. As I did my hair many thoughts ran through my head because I just wanted one last good memory of the sport I had done since I was four. This may be my last and it seemed almost unreal. As we entered the meet everything kind of went into auto pilot for me and I can not remember every little detail although I tried. We began on a bye. Then we headed for bars and nailed that event. It was a much better start than the previous year and we off in the right direction. As we headed to beam, I seemed amazingly calm when I am normally very nervous. I could not tell you what the other girls did because I tried to keep busy to keep my nerves in check. As I walked up to Kira it was almost as if I felt a sense of being guided. I can remember most of the things of my routine and was thankful for the great finish. I had began an awesome career on that beam and ended it on that beam. As Kira would put it "I had come full circle." Floor was amazing and it seemed easy and fun as it should be with vault the same. It was exciting because our "Gymnastics Fantastics" and Sarah Reeseman were able to share our meet with us as they encouraged us through each routine. Thank you to all of them. We finished in third, a better finish than ever before. And although we did not make Nationals as a team we could not have done much better because we finished 14th in the country. I am so thankful for so many things and I just want to wish my girls and my family good luck in the future. Although I said good-bye to a sport I love in this competition, I would not have ended it in a different way. Also Good Luck to my best friend and Senior teammate Alisha at Nationals. You are an amazing person and I am glad that we got to share our four years together. Thanks to my teammates and Coaches for the great Tiger Run that I had. You all are in my heart forever. Way to go Tigers and Good Luck in the future.

I love you all, Rachael