Post by elp525 on Feb 11, 2010 6:13:14 GMT -5
Wednesday February 10, 2010
by Flynn Altmeyer
For The Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- St. Albans High School graduate Ashley Wilson is wrapping up a standout career as a gymnast at West Virginia University.
Wilson, a senior, received a career high score of 9.675 out of 10 in the vault on Jan. 24 as the leadoff gymnast. Her performance set the tone for WVU sweeping the day with three victories.
A good leadoff gymnast usually scores 9.5 or higher on her jump.
Wilson, who started gymnastics as a toddler, has a career total of 247.1 points through competing in many vault and uneven bar competitions.
Wilson grew up in a close-knit family with her parents, Karen and Don Wilson, and an older sister.
Influenced by her sister, she started gymnastics as a toddler and has never looked back.
She practiced and competed for a gym called, The Flip Flop Shop in Ripley, where she learned from a coach and good friend, Susan Brown. She qualified five times for Junior Olympics regionals.
"Susan Brown taught me most of anything I know, and we still stay in touch to this day," Wilson said.
She said she learned to work hard from her family and stuck with gymnastics.
"She was very active and rambunctious as a child. She's always worked very hard and tried to do her best, and it has shown through," her father said.
Her WVU coach agreed.
"Ashley gives 100 percent effort every day, whether it be a bad or good day, and that is what makes her so successful," Coach Linda Burdette-Good said.
Wilson's career high vault jump "makes all the work worth it," the coach said. "High-level gymnasts have to practice at least 17-20 hours a week, 365 days a year."
Wilson has been a major contributor since her freshman year. She competed in six vault meets in her freshmen year and earned a high score 9.6 at Michigan State.
She competed in the uneven bars in 11 meets during her sophomore season. It was another solid year, during which she scored 103.025 points and had two 9.7 scores.
In her junior season she became a co-captain and set herself apart by becoming a consistent leadoff girl - the first team member to perform in every meet.
"The lead-off is possibly the most important position on the team because it sets the tone for the rest of the match and has to be a consistently good score of over 9.5," the coach said.
"I get a little nervous and anxious being the leadoff, but when you're nervous, your body takes over," Wilson said.
"I picture myself back at the gym in practice and I get confident."
She had an average of 9.65 as a junior and was named to the East Atlantic Gymnastic League all-Academic team for the third year in a row.
"Every intercollegiate athlete should want to have a career like Ashley Wilson," Burdette-Good said.
She believes Wilson's success is because of her consistency and ability to ignore emotional distractions.
"She has worked hard from day one to do her best every day and improve with every opportunity she has received," the coach said.
She noted that consistency doesn't always get a lot of attention but it can be the most important component of a player or a team.
Wilson's senior season may be her best. She has three years of experience and started her first home meet with a career high in the vault.
As she continues on her course of consistency, her family is present for every meet.
Wilson will give up competitive gymnastics when she graduates this spring with a degree in exercise physiology. She is applying to occupational therapy school.
"I would be perfectly content with ending up right back here in West Virginia," she said.
She competes again on Feb. 12 at home against Ohio State University.
The WVU gymnastics team has a record of 10-3 with eight opponents left before the end of the regular season.
by Flynn Altmeyer
For The Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- St. Albans High School graduate Ashley Wilson is wrapping up a standout career as a gymnast at West Virginia University.
Wilson, a senior, received a career high score of 9.675 out of 10 in the vault on Jan. 24 as the leadoff gymnast. Her performance set the tone for WVU sweeping the day with three victories.
A good leadoff gymnast usually scores 9.5 or higher on her jump.
Wilson, who started gymnastics as a toddler, has a career total of 247.1 points through competing in many vault and uneven bar competitions.
Wilson grew up in a close-knit family with her parents, Karen and Don Wilson, and an older sister.
Influenced by her sister, she started gymnastics as a toddler and has never looked back.
She practiced and competed for a gym called, The Flip Flop Shop in Ripley, where she learned from a coach and good friend, Susan Brown. She qualified five times for Junior Olympics regionals.
"Susan Brown taught me most of anything I know, and we still stay in touch to this day," Wilson said.
She said she learned to work hard from her family and stuck with gymnastics.
"She was very active and rambunctious as a child. She's always worked very hard and tried to do her best, and it has shown through," her father said.
Her WVU coach agreed.
"Ashley gives 100 percent effort every day, whether it be a bad or good day, and that is what makes her so successful," Coach Linda Burdette-Good said.
Wilson's career high vault jump "makes all the work worth it," the coach said. "High-level gymnasts have to practice at least 17-20 hours a week, 365 days a year."
Wilson has been a major contributor since her freshman year. She competed in six vault meets in her freshmen year and earned a high score 9.6 at Michigan State.
She competed in the uneven bars in 11 meets during her sophomore season. It was another solid year, during which she scored 103.025 points and had two 9.7 scores.
In her junior season she became a co-captain and set herself apart by becoming a consistent leadoff girl - the first team member to perform in every meet.
"The lead-off is possibly the most important position on the team because it sets the tone for the rest of the match and has to be a consistently good score of over 9.5," the coach said.
"I get a little nervous and anxious being the leadoff, but when you're nervous, your body takes over," Wilson said.
"I picture myself back at the gym in practice and I get confident."
She had an average of 9.65 as a junior and was named to the East Atlantic Gymnastic League all-Academic team for the third year in a row.
"Every intercollegiate athlete should want to have a career like Ashley Wilson," Burdette-Good said.
She believes Wilson's success is because of her consistency and ability to ignore emotional distractions.
"She has worked hard from day one to do her best every day and improve with every opportunity she has received," the coach said.
She noted that consistency doesn't always get a lot of attention but it can be the most important component of a player or a team.
Wilson's senior season may be her best. She has three years of experience and started her first home meet with a career high in the vault.
As she continues on her course of consistency, her family is present for every meet.
Wilson will give up competitive gymnastics when she graduates this spring with a degree in exercise physiology. She is applying to occupational therapy school.
"I would be perfectly content with ending up right back here in West Virginia," she said.
She competes again on Feb. 12 at home against Ohio State University.
The WVU gymnastics team has a record of 10-3 with eight opponents left before the end of the regular season.
