LOCAL NEWS - MEADOWVIEW QUARTET HITS GOLD AT STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - NEWS ARTICLE
Date Published: May 11, 2006
Meadowview Quartet Hits Gold at State Championships
Author: David Ongie - Kingsport Times News KINGSPORT - The conquests of March are now a fond but distant memory as the gymnasts at Meadowview Gymnastics Academy prepare for a grueling summer in the gym. The young athletes line up in straight rows for a team picture, but an anxious wave of energy shoots through the group, making staying still an impossibility. Among the group sit four gold medalists from the state championships held in March. There are the Reed sisters, Stacey and Rebecca, and a pair of Stephanies, Broadwater and Strickler. Stacey Reed led the group with three gold medals and an all-around state championship in the 6- and 8-year-old age group. She struck gold in the vault and in the floor exercise to propel her to the all-around gold medal. Rebecca Reed also grabbed a gold medal for her performance during the floor exercise in the Prep 2 division. Stephanie Broadwater claimed her gold on the uneven bars in the Prep 2 division while Stephanie Strickler captured a pair of gold medals for her performances on the balance beam and on the floor. Their coach and the owner of Meadowview Gymnastics, Kristin Lemons, said it's always nice to see the hard work the girls put in on a daily basis pay off. "It's wonderful to see them have their time to shine in the spotlight," Lemons said. The success in March speaks for itself. Twelve gymnasts from Meadowview combined for 32 medals. Still, winning really isn't the only thing when it comes to gymnastics. Lemons is quick to point out the benefits of the sport that reach far beyond the gym. "Most all of our children are on the honor rolls at their schools," she said. "And gymnastics is wonderful because it reaches every area. It develops strength, coordination and can be used as cross-training for any sport." With the team picture out of the way, the gymnasts are now ready to get down to business. The weather outside is gorgeous - there's a nice warm breeze blowing and the sky is a perfect shade of blue - but nobody inside the gym seems to notice as stretching begins. While gold medals and competitions provide plenty of motivation over the winter months and into the early spring, there won't be another competition until January. Lemons said summer means the most stringent conditioning sessions of the year. The gymnasts will use the next few months to build strength and learn new skills. So with no competitions on the calendar, nice weather outside and nothing but hard work waiting in the gym, is it hard to keep the gymnasts focused? "No," Lemons said. "They are very good about focusing. We have a great group of girls." Besides, everyone stretching in the circle knows that hard work now could mean more medals come January, and that's always something worth getting excited about. Read the article at the online archive of Kingsport Times News