Perfect Balance Gymnastics

Chapter Eight - Marissa

I am standing next to my team in our team leo's. "Today's order is, bars, beam, floor, vault." James says. We all walk over to the big floor where every team is warming up. We all warm up then do a rough warm up on bars. After we complete that we sit in the order we're gonna compete in. Savannah, Paige, Me, Carmen, Alexis, Trista. Trista is whining about going last as Savannah begins her routine. We all clap as she finishes a solid routine. Paige starts her routine after Savannah settles down next to us. I miss Savannah's score but I focus my attention on Paige. She does a clean routine but her feet brush the low bar on her giants, giving her less momentum. Next it's my turn. I high ten Paige and walk over to the bars, quickly chalking my hands. The judge salute's me and I salute back confidently. I kip into a cast handstand, squeezing my body into a tight line. I turn on my handstand, kip cast handstand and turn again.

 I press my feet onto the bar and sole circle. I jump to the high bar and swing my feet out. I point my toes and pop up at the right time, pushing into a handstand. I swing down into a clear hip before kipping into a handstand and turning. I do my overshoot, twisting in the air and catching the bar. I glide into a kip and spring up into a handstand. I sole circle and jump up to the high bar. I kip up to a straddled handstand and do two clean giants, squeezing my body and pointing my toes. I let go on the third one into a clean layout dismount. I land, bending my knees slightly. I straighten my legs and salute at the judges. I walk towards my teammates and look over at the scoreboard. The board turns around and shows my score: 9.00. I gasp and smile as my teammates congratulate me. Next we rotate to beam. Before we go I see a salt lake gymnastics girl nail her back tuck on beam. We sit in the order we compete. Me, Carmen, Trista, Savannah, Alexis, Paige. I start first. I wait for the judge to salute me. I salute back when they do and mount the beam. I do my back walkover back handspring. My legs land cleanly in front of each other with no wobbles. I do a pivot turn and then do my back handspring back tuck. I hug my knees to my chest and look up as I land. I stand on the beam, shocked for a second. 

I didn't wobble at all! I do my switch leap into a full turn. I bend down for my wolf turn. My foot skids on the beam as I'm doing it. I almost tip over but I make the full rotation and stand up. I do an aerial with a tiny wobble. I back up to the end of the beam, and run into my front handspring and front layout off the beam. I hollow my back and bend my knees as I land. I salute the judge and run back to my teammates. "That must have been a huge score!" Gushes Carmen. She looks a little upset after her bars routine which was a little sloppy. "I'm really nervous for beam." She says. "It's your turn." I say. She swallows and my score appears. 8.95. I smile happily as Carmen salute's the judge. I feel bad for Carmen as she falls off the beam on her back tuck. Savannah also falls on her back tuck. After beam we head over to floor. The order is Alexis, Trista, Carmen, Me, Paige, Savannah. Alexis steps out of bounds and has a sloppy routine. She looks pretty upset. Trista, as usual, has a gorgeous routine, sure to score her in the nine's. Carmen does a clean routine that is very pretty to watch. I'm sure she's trying to pull on floor and vault because of her beam and bars. Next is my turn. I salute the judge and wait for the music. As the music turns on I begin with a full turn leg kick into an aerial into a back aerial. I land firmly and smoothly rotate into a sassy dance combo. I do a roundoff back handspring back layout ½ twist. I finish cleanly, with a small step and do a forwards walk into a back walkover. I prep and then run into a front handspring front layout roundoff back handspring back layout.

 I end with a rebound and a step. I check, I'm not out of bounds phew. I do a handstand down into a straddled floor position into a straddled handstand. I squeeze my legs together and hold for a second before I kick over from the handstand and do my finishing pose with the music. I salute the judge and scurry back. As Paige starts her routine, my score pops up. 8.7. Paige and Savannah complete clean floor routines and then were off to vault. "Vault is my favorite!" Says, Carmen. "Because you nail it." Says Trista. We all get in order. The order is Carmen, Savannah, Trista, Paige, Me, Alexis. I sit and cheer on my teammates. Carmen does a beautiful vault at a perfect angle that gets her a huge score. Savannah is still too short so they have to lower the vault for her. Savannah does a nice vault and Trista does a sloppy one. After Paige i'm up. I chalk up my hands and the judge salute's at me. One more big score and I'm off to state. I salute back and take a deep breath. I run at the spring board and punch the table, squeezing my body into form. I take a small step on the landing, then salute the judge. 

I walk back to the start and the judge salute's me again. I salute back and repeat to myself, run, punch, fast heels, look through your shoulder, squeeze. I land with a small step backwards and salute the judge. I run over to my teammates, high tenning them. I look up at my score as Alexis salute's the judge. 8.5. I calculate my overall score in my head. 35.15. I grinned. I scored out for level nine on my first meet! And I more than made it to state. When we sit down at the big floor for awards our score cards are passed around.

Marissa's Score Card

Bars: 9.00

Beam: 8.95

Floor: 8.70

Vault: 8.50

AA: 35.15