Hey everyone!!!

I just got back from Nationals today.  We had to wake up at four o'clock to catch a six-thirty flight, and we were half an hour late, too.  They had held the plane for us though, and everyone else who came sprinting... we weren't the latest ones, surprisingly!

Anyways, I had an AMAZING meet yesterday ~ best one ever!  I know, I know, I've said that a lot lately, but when you spend three years in the same level you're bound to get better eventually... or at least one would hope so!

The meet started at nine o'clock in the morning, but we had to be there at eight-thirty for pictures.  We made up a boring, unoriginal but nevertheless nice pose.  Nothing interesting.  We were separated into our regions as well as age groups.  Kara Dewhurst was in my session, on the other side of the gym.  She's going to the University of Pennsylvania next year.  It was her second time at Nationals and she's a Senior C this year.  They had the Junior C's on one side, and the Senior C's on the other side.  The only problem is that there are two of us, with only one coach, so Jen had to keep running across the gym, trying to coach us both at the same time.  What made it even worse was that Kara was only one person ahead of me in the lineup, meaning that she'd be sixth in the same rotation where I was seventh. When you take in the fact that some events go slower than others, it was inevitable that we'd be competing at the same time sometimes.  Kara's floor music actually started when the girl before me on bars had just dismounted, so Jen watched her stand up her double tuck first pass and ran over to me, right before I presented to the judges, trying to contain my laughter!

Well, vault was my first event.  I warmed up decently, and then proceeded to self destruct in touch.  I did a horrible timer first, went back, did another bad timer, and then flipped a front tuck to my face.  After a short lecture about my impending death if I botched my vaults, I managed to stand them both up.  The first one had two large steps backwards, but the second one only had a small step forwards and I got a 9.225.  Not my best, but not bad.

Bars went well.  I didn't make any routines in warm-ups except one where I didn't connect my giant full-Tkatchev and I dropped my legs on my Pak.  I managed to make the one in touch, and doubting I had a chance at making two in a row (I am SO inconsistent on bars) I had pretty much accepted the fact that I was going to screw up.  Surprise, surprise, I made it through!  I almost didn't go over on my giant full, though.  I kept my feet up on my Pak and had a super small hop on my dismount, for a 9.55.

In beam warm-ups I couldn't stand up a single dismount.  I tired about five or six, and each time it felt really good in the air, but I just collapsed in a heap when I landed.  One time I even got lost and accidentally did a one and a half.  We went out for touch and I only did a timer, so I pretty much had to chuck my dismount without having made one in my competitive routine without having made one.  In my routine I had a tiny bobble on my mount, maybe another one on my front aerial, and I did a fugly sheep jump (explanation to follow).  I had a small step backwards on my switch-leap back tuck, and I may have waited too long before my dismount, but I was trying to calm myself down and "not try too hard" as Jen insisted was my problem in warm-ups.  I stood it up with a step I think, for another 9.55, although undeserved.  I mean, it was a good routine but It was too shakey for such a good score.

All I had was floor left, and doing some quick math calculations in my head I realized I needed a 9.675 to get a 38 (which you know, would just be the icing on the cake).  I had been trying to get my double Arabian ready to compete, but they've been really lenient.  They know that some days my legs feel like working and I can actually tumble, whereas other days they can tell when it's not going to happen.  So in my routines and things I've been having a certain amount of attempts to make one, and if I don't I finish my assignment with a 2 1/2 punch front, so I don't get sore from trying too much (they REALLY kill your quads).  Anyways, I did them at the workout Friday, and out of my two allowed attempts I made both of them, and Jen gave me the choice of whether or not I wanted to do it.  I chose not to, because having been doing so well I didn't want to screw it up on my last event.  I went the safe way, and apparently it worked!  I stuck all my tumbling passes but did an awful double turn for a 9.65, tied with the girl that went before me, Allie Southard.

Well, I ended up first on bars, tied for second on beam (some Region Five chick beat me, they're our rivals, grrr) and I tied with my teammate for first on floor.  I won All-around, and didn't place on vault, like usual, but I was tied for twenty-sixth, haha.  Region Seven was third!  We were all so happy, because our region sucks and to place for us is a big thing. 

Anyways, I should prolly tell y'all that my season isn't over quite yet.  I'm testing Friday at Parkettes, and I'm trying to qualify Senior National.  Anything better than that is just icing on the cake (I love phrases that refer to food!), as if I'd ever get a 34.5.  It's so impossible it's hilarious!  Oh well.  After that we'll just see what happens.  I'm driving up Thursday night with Kelli, probably after practice.  We're staying in a hotel, and then at eight o'clock in the morning I'll be there, warming up for optionals.  Sometime after those there are compulsories, and then I'll be going home with my sister who's driving up early, early, early Friday morning to come watch. 

The sun is now setting on my one-day "summer," or what should be my summer.  I've got school tomorrow (and practice, oh goodie!) so I'm off to bed.  I'll try and write after Zones, if I'm not swamped in make-up work...

I want to work new skills!
Cassie