Podcast: College Salute- Senior Alumni Conversation with Michigan’s Lexi Funk

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March 26, 2020

The 2020 season was cut short with seniors career coming to end with the the closure they may have wanted. We at the Region 5 Insider are hoping to provide some closure with our Alumni Conversation. Our first senior conversation is with Michigan Senior Lexi Funk. We look back on her JO and College career and she talks about her thoughts on the end of her career at Michigan. There are a lot of great stories mixed in so enjoy!

Show Breakdown:

Looking back on her career how did her club and Region 5 impact her college career
Lexi breaks down her 2014 JO Nationals experience (she breaks down her JO National Bars Championship routine for us)
Moments that stood out in each of her 4 years
Lexi talks about how her career ended
How she has changed and evolved during her college career
Most embarrassing moments during her career
Talks about her last 2 meets of her career
How she wants to be remembered
Sparkle and Shine- Lexi’s favorite Michigan Lovely Leos (link to photos)
Whats Next?

College Salute Most Important 5 questions- Check out our Youtube Channel for that video

Full Out Recruiting will be on the show in a few weeks to answer any questions you may have related to college recruiting. Send questions to [email protected] or in direct message them on Instagram at FullOutRecruit.

Related Podcasts:

Region 5 Top 100 for 2020- Vault

By

Jason MacDonald

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March 25, 2020

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The season ending so abruptly at the beginning of March, meant there would be no championship season… no national champions crowned… no official ending to the 2020 competition season. We won’t have the thrill of the eight regions of USA Gymnastics battling it out for age group team champions or the suspense of who will win the JO National Super Region Trophy, Region 5 Still the Champs!

The 2020 USAG JO Invitational season however was only shortened by 1 weekend so thanks to mymeetscores.com we have a compiled list of all the top scores from around the country on all four events and the all around. We will be highlighting all of our Region 5 athletes who have made the Top 100 list with event video from the meet it was achieved (thank you to all the coaches who sent me videos to include in this post).

Full Results on mymeetscores.com

We will go in olympic order beginning with Vault!

15th – Mila Brusch, Jacey Vore

Mila Brusch, Cincinnati Gymnastics 9.9- Circle of Stars

Jacey Vore, JPAC 9.9- Circle of Stars

42nd Sidney Washington, Nikki Smith, Gabi Stephen, Halle Faulkner, Paige Kirkham, Abby Singh,

Sidney Washington, Gym America 9.85- Tampa Bay

Nikki Smith, Euro Stars 9.85- Nashville Nights (this video is from Biles Invite which is ranked 70th 9.825)

Gabi Stephen, MEGA 9.85- Circle of Stars

Halle Faulkner, Gym America 9.85- Tampa Bay

Paige Kirkham, Rockford 9.85- Dragon

Abby Singh, Phenom 9.85- Flipr

70th Ella Cesario, Andrea Li, Skyla Schulte, Cassie St. Clair,

Ella Cesario, Legacy Elite 9.825- R5 Insider Classic

Andrea Li, Legacy Elite 9.825- R5 Insider Classic

Skyla Schulte, Phenom 9.825- Flipr Invite

Cassie St Clair, Aspire 9.825- UGA Invite

99th Laci Keck, Emma Pritchard

Laci Keck, JPAC 9.8- Circle of Stars

Emma Pritchard, Gym Xtreme 9.8- Ozone

20 Questions with Senior Gillian Rutz (Perfection)

By

Kim Dowis

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March 24, 2020

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Our next 20 Questions athlete is a multiple JO National Qualifier, JO National Uneven Bars Champion and a future Arkansas RazorBack! Gillian Rutz from Perfection Gymnastics in Cincinnati, Ohio has had a great career in Region 5 Gymnastics, however this year did not end how she wanted or planned. This generation of seniors is like no other, having their seasons end on someone else terms, but what there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel in that those, like Gillian, still have 4 more years of gymnastics to look forward too! Let’s get to know Gillian a little better as she looks to the future of her gymnastics career at the University of Arkansas. Thank you for your contributions to Region 5 Gymnastics, Ohio Gymnastics and of course your home club Perfection Gymnastics.

How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? I got into gymnastics when I was 5 years old

What is your favorite event? My favorite event is bars

Favorite Skill to train/compete My favorite skill to train/compete is a ray on bars

Dream Skill? My dream skill is a comaneci on bars

What is your favorite part of gymnastics? My favorite part about gymnastics is having my teammates by my side and the accomplishments achieved

What college do you plan on attending? I plan on attending the University of Arkansas #woopig

What is your favorite meet to compete at? Why?My favorite meet to compete at is the California classic because it is in California

Biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? My biggest accomplishment is winning bars and JO Nationals

What is your favorite Region 5 Insider Feature or Series? My favorite Region 5 Insider feature is 2Q Tuesday

What kinds of things really make you laugh? My friends and funny videos

3 Things you could not live without? 3 things I could not live without are my airpods, phone, and friends

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why? I would be a monkey because they are wild

Get 15% off Built Bars with Code Built15

5 Most Important or Must have Items in your gym bag? 5 most important items in my gym bag are snacks, tape, pre-wrap, advil, and a roller

Do you have any pre-meet rituals or superstitions? I listen tomusic to hype me up

What do you like to do outside of Gymnastics?I like to hang with my friends

Most embarrassing meet moment or gymnastics moment? The most embarrassing meet moment is when I forgot my floor routine

Do you have a nickname? If so what Is the story behind it? I have lots of nicknames that people randomly call me

Which athletes (any sport) do you respect the most and why? I respect Katelyn Ohashi because she is very inspiring and unique

Something you learned from Gymnastics that you will take with you? Something I learned from gymnastics that I will take with me is how to manage time well

Most Memorable Gymnastics or JO Nationals Moment? Most memorable gymnastics moments are the relationships I have made with my coaches and teammates

What is the most valuable piece of advice or wisdom your coach has given you? Get out of your comfort zone and see where the results take you

Bonus Question: Tell me something interesting about yourself…. I love to swim!

NCAA Graduating Seniors 2020- SEC

By

Kim Dowis

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March 22, 2020

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For any Senior their last year of not only college gymnastics, but gymnastics in general, can be a hard pill to swallow. Leaving a sport that they have literally done their entire life can be a highly emotional concept to grasp. However, most Senior athletes come to terms with this at the beginning of the season and are prepared to that last competition that they will buckle their grips, pull on their leotard and tighten their hair a little more than usual. For many this moment does not occur until late April at the NCAA National Championships or others it may happen a bit earlier, but they are ready for it they have celebrated their gymnastics journey with their family, friends, coaches & teammates at the extremely emotional Senior Nights that have everyone reminiscing and looking back at glorious careers with fond memories and usually tears in their eyes.

Unfortunately, for these 2020 Graduating Seniors the season did not end in April at the NCAA National Championships, it ended far sooner and more abruptly in March. Many Seniors did not get their Senior Night, they did not get to look back fondly at their gymnastics careers. Instead, due to the Corona Virus, they were left with devastation and heartache, careers ended on someone else’s terms.

We here at the Region 5 Insider, who have followed these athletes from their first Level 10 meets to their last college meet, would like to recognize our Region 5 Alumni for all that that have given to the sport of gymnastics, to our Region, to their JO Clubs and to their schools! These young athletes, who have worked so hard, deserve much more recognition than photo galleries and social media posts, but once you are part of Region 5 you are a Region 5er forever and we take care of our own. So, with that being said we will be recognizing EVERY Graduating NCAA Senior.

We will be starting in this post with the SEC Conference

Amelia Hundley
University of Florida
Cincinnati Gymnastics

Career Highlights
-4 Time All-American
-2017-2018 All-SEC
-2019 WCGA Scholastic All-American
-2018-2020 SEC Academic Honor Roll
-2017 SEC All-Freshman Tean

Career Bests:
Vault: 9.90
Bars: 9.975
Beam: 9.925
Floor: 9.95
AA: 39.625

photo credit: University of Florida Athletics

Rachel Dickson
Georgia
Michigan Elite

Career Highlights:
-2018 First Team All-American
-2018 All-SEC Team Bars
-2017 2nd Team All-American Honors
-2017 First Freshman All-Around All-American since 2006
-2017 First Freshman to compete All-Around since 2013
-2017 Recipient of the Jennifer Moree Gymnastics Excellence Scholarship Endowment

Career Bests:
Vault: 9.975
Bars: 9.925
Beam: 9.925
Floor: 9.975
AA: 39.625

photo credit: University of Georgia Athletics

Shea Mahoney
Alabama
Legacy Elite

Career Highlights:
-2017,2018,2019 Scholastic All-American
-2019 All-SEC
-2019 SEC Community Service Team
-2017,2018,2019 SEC Academic Honor Roll

Career Bests:
Vault: 9.9
Bars: 9.95
Floor: 9.95

photo credit: University of Alabama Athletics

**Please remember if we missed an athlete it was not intentional, please let us know & we will add her to the feature. Thank You**

Meditative Movement with Perfect 10 Posture?

By

Jason MacDonald

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March 20, 2020

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Take this time to build a better foundation, build a better you? Reduce stress and anxiety and build up your overall confidence with meditative movement!

Hello Region 5!
I wanted to invite you to join in my daily live video streams as we navigate our way through these unprecedented times. There are three main goals with these video streams:

Lead important movement activities that are designed to strengthen and enhance the body’s immune system.
Introduce and help you practice different techniques to calm the mind and heal our emotional body.
Share thoughts and ideas and unique perspectives to help you maximize the opportunity being presented by this “life puzzle” we are currently working to solve.

To be clear – I am NOT handing out answers or a step by step list of what to do every day. I am simply sharing ways of thinking about ourselves and about our bodies that will enhance EVERYTHING that we wish to pursue or participate in once our world returns to its new state of normal. My wish is that we come out of this definitely CHANGED and definitely CHANGED for the BETTER!

#1- “Contributing to the team bucket” Make sure you are only putting in positive energy – that’s what you will be giving to your family, friends, community. AND that’s what will be in there when you need to use some of that community energy! Exercises – Birthday candle blowing; Foot connection; Spinal awareness

https://www.facebook.com/BodyByGymroots/videos/140210730680433/UzpfSTExNDM1Mjc3NDY6MTAyMjA3OTM5NTEwMTU2MjM/

#2- “Seize the Opportunity to Learn to Relax” Take this time of uncertainty and less structured obligations to get better at those things we say we WISH to be better at. What is it that you always complain about? Want to have less anxiety in your life and the lives of your family members? Want to learn how to calm your mind? Here is a great starting point…and it’s just the tip of the iceberg! Exercises – Perfect 10 Posture gym warm-up basics

https://www.facebook.com/BodyByGymroots/videos/833534633819407/UzpfSTExNDM1Mjc3NDY6MTAyMjA4MDM4NjcwMjM1MTc/

#3 – “Find Abundance in Nature” Utilize the opportunity to get out in nature and share of the abundance of healing energy that Mother Earth has to share. Exercises – Moving joints from the ground up; Breathing

https://www.facebook.com/BodyByGymroots/videos/1597529897052851/UzpfSTExNDM1Mjc3NDY6MTAyMjA4MTM3Mjk1OTAwNzU/

#4 – “Resetting the Central Nervous System” Keeping the brain out of panic state and returning it to calm as the community bucket gets full of anxiety. Using the struggle to become more aware and intervene sooner to avoid injuries or long term disability. Exercises – Eye exercises; Breathing; Using the “peanut”; Thoracic rotation

https://www.facebook.com/BodyByGymroots/videos/832603560588902/UzpfSTExNDM1Mjc3NDY6MTAyMjA4MzUyOTY2NDkyMzg/

#5 – “Integrating” Taking time to allow all the new information to integrate into our body – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Learning to practice, master, and embody the simple exercises that make up our strong foundation. Exercises – Energy circles; Breathing; Visualization/Meditation

https://www.facebook.com/BodyByGymroots/videos/515158655859651/UzpfSTExNDM1Mjc3NDY6MTAyMjA4NDY4NTMwOTgxNDI/

If you wish to take advantage of deeper healing opportunities, contact me directly at [email protected] and let’s have a conversation.