1999 Gymnastics Preview
Fighting for spots in the lineup, that is.
This year's team has much more depth than last year's, with eight gymnasts working on all four events and two others who have routines on three events each.
As a result, there's some stiff competition to earn a spot in the lineup.
"With so many gymnasts able to compete on so many events, it's going to be a challenge to make the lineup this year," said Chaplin. "To be a national contender, we're going to need that extra competitiveness on our team."
The gymnasts have added difficulty to their routines, pushed just a little harder and taken that extra step in order to make the lineup and also meet their goal of returning to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1996.
And that, for Chaplin, is a welcome relief.
Last year, the Beavers were set on going to nationals, but late-season injuries and lack of depth left some holes in the lineup and OSU had to stay home.
This year, there are plenty of Beavers to go around, and Chaplin should have no problem finding enough gymnasts to compete. Her biggest problem will be deciding which of the many talented gymnasts to put in the lineup.
Take vault for instance. Last year the Beavers struggled to find six vaulters to fill their lineup and often had just five competing.
1999 is a different story.
"This year we have 10 vaulters. Our top vaulters will have to compete for their spots," Chaplin said. "We have a lot of power, and we could be one of the top vaulting teams in the country."
In addition to the increased depth on the event, OSU's vaulters have a new loose foam pit that will help them improve their vaults. The pit will eliminate a lot of the pounding on their bodies and allow them to work on harder and more difficult vaults.
Sophomore Lara Degenhardt looks to continue her vaulting performance from a year ago, when she averaged a team-best 9.813 and won the event seven times. Senior Danae Phillips was OSU's No. 2 vaulter before a season-ending injury kept her out of the lineup midway through last year, but she has fully recovered and is ready to go.
Senior Megan Murphy-Barcroft and junior Corrie Young, this year's co-captains, also had consistent efforts a year ago. Senior Bea Tistu, sophomores Annette Taylor and Katrina Severin and freshmen Sara Carson, Jerra Lopez and Soni Meduna will challenge for spots in the lineup as well.
The Beavers face a tough challenge on bars after losing All-Americans Deanne Droegemueller and Amy Slack, who both scored 9.90s or better several times in 1998.
"We did lose two incredibly strong seniors to graduation, but the team's confidence level has risen," said Chaplin. "Everyone is working very hard and pushing themselves because they want to fill those spots."
"Being able to replace Amy and Deanne is not going to be an easy task," said bars coach Dick Foxal. "But we're much stronger in terms of depth, and our three freshmen are coming aboard with excellent skills. We may not have someone who can score a 9.90 every night, but we should be more consistent all through the lineup this year."
Phillips and sophomore Stephanie Bychowksi come in as the top returnees on bars. Phillips was averaging 9.75 on the event before her injury last year, and Bychowski scored a 9.80 or higher five times as a rookie. Murphy-Barcroft and Taylor also saw time on bars last year.
Young and Degenhardt could make the bars lineup for the first time this season, and all three freshmen could see action on bars as well.
Beam is similar to bars in that the Beavers lost two key competitors in Slack and Droegemueller, but Chaplin is excited about the prospects.
"We lost two seniors, but we have four strong newcomers," Chaplin said. "We've been working on increasing our difficulty in our dismounts, and they continue to get stronger. One of the hardest things has been holding them back on beam and making sure they don't do too much too early."
Murphy-Barcroft was OSU's top beam performer last year, scoring a 9.80 or better eight times. Tistu improved last season and scored 9.80 or higher on beam in four of the last five meets. Severin was a key performer in 1997 and should turn in some top routines this year, and Carson also could be strong after an eighth-place finish on the event at the 1998 Level 10 National Championship.
Young was voted the team's most consistent performer on beam last year and should be a strong force this season, and sophomore Marissa Bruch has made tremendous improvements over the past year. Bychowski, Degenhardt, Lopez, Meduna and Taylor will also contend on the event.
Floor, like vault, will benefit from the added depth.
"Vault and floor will be our two biggest jumps from last year," said Chaplin. "All four of our newcomers are very strong tumblers, and our returnees all started where they left off last year, so we have been able to increase difficulty."
Murphy-Barcroft led the Beavers on floor last year and will be looking to do so again this season. Degenhardt also will be a strong force for the Beavers, as she posted scores as high as 9.925 as a rookie. Severin scored a 9.90 on floor two seasons ago and should be strong this year. Eight others are working on new floor routines as well, with everyone but Phillips competing for a spot in the floor lineup.
While the added depth in the roster will be a key factor in the Beavers success as they aim for nationals, their schedule should also play a big part in achieving that goal.
OSU will have all of its regular season road trips out of the way by February 26 and will be at home the entire month of March and most of April. OSU has four home meets between March 6 and April 10, including the Pacific-10 Championships and the NCAA Region 1 meet.
The NCAA Championship meet is scheduled for April 22-24 at Utah.
