November 10, 2018

Okay, we are starting with gymnastics.  As you all (all one, maybe two) of you know, Riley had a little mental breakdown in February and lost a lot of her skills in gymnastics.  She lost her power cartwheel on the beam and all back tumbling on floor.  It's been excruciating just letting it evolve on its own.  We are at about 50% back on back tumbling and this week in practice, I saw a cartwheel.  Because it's not a blocking cartwheel (ie, at no point is she airborne), it does not count as a 10.0 start value. Instead, she has to do a series so she added a handstand.  I asked the coach who was there at the time if she has to be at a true vertical in her handstand in order for it to count.  The coach said no.  Keep that in mind for later in this blog.

Anyway, the meet was in the hometown of one of my besties and college roomate.  Claire, Riley's bestie, rode up with us because we left from her house since her mom did Riley's hair.  They were adorable and sang a lot of Taylor Swift on the way up.  

So, first rotation was vault.  That's Riley's forte.  She looked a hot mess during warmups because she tweaked her groin on Wednesday during practice and it hurt to stretch.  She gave us a great show during the actual meet though and pulled out a 9.275.  All of a sudden, she was in first place.  

Moving on to bars.  I had a heads up that she was pulling out a connection because of the sore groin.  Her routine was pretty though and she did great.  Through two rotations, she was holding on to first by about a tenth of a point.  One of her teammates was in second and she ALWAYS wins.

Beam.  The cartwheel was beautiful, the handstand was close.  What's that?  She has to be completely vertical for it to count?  Oh, the whole series is invalidated as a result and she only has a 9.5 start value?  Alrighty then.  8.675.

Floor was pretty much the same as it always is.  Until that tuck comes back, it isn't as eyecatching but it hits all requirements.  9.15

She took the gold for vault, silver for floor, bronze for bars and did not place on beam.  Silver for all-around.  Lost by 2 tenths of a point.  What's that?  She took a .5 deduction on beam.  Yes, I did the math.   *sigh* Next meet is next week.

Anyway, is this the face of someone who is disappointed in her performance?

 

 

Okay, so moving on because surely you didn't think we had just ONE thing today.  Because we didn't.  Today was the start of Purdue dance marathon.  We missed the first 5 hours out of 18.  I went in with Riley when we got there at 9PM.  It was fun.  We ended up meeting (and boybanding with) the baseball team.  And Riley had a good time with her friend Rebecca.