Championship season is in full swing, and what an exciting year it has been! Conference championships brought a great deal of excitement from upset wins, first-time conference winners, and back-to-back champions, and this last month of the season will certainly be just as thrilling!
NCAA Division I nationals get the majority of the attention in April, but there is a second national competition that doesn’t get as much love as it should! Starting off my career at Bridgeport, I was able to experience one USAG National Championship, and that 2018-2019 competition year, it happened to be hosted at home! This meet was truly unlike any other competition I had ever been at; the energy of a completely transformed arena, the build-up, excitement, and anticipation leading up to the three-day stretch.
Over the past couple of years, especially following COVID-19, the involvement of teams in this competition has shifted, but, typically eight teams qualify as a whole, as well as a handful of individuals that can compete for a title of their own. Now, USAG Nationals is titled the Women’s Gymnastics Collegiate National Invitational Championship or WGCNIC and the qualification for this competition is dependent on the funding of the program being fully or partially funded, as well as the rankings of the teams from the previous year. Unfortunately, many teams who had previously competed in this competition have had their programs cut over the last handful of seasons, so changing the qualification process was necessary to keep this championship alive and provide athletes with an event they will be able to remember forever.
Speaking for my freshman-year self, this meet holds so much more meaning because this was one of the only competitions where I would get to experience this type of atmosphere. Attendance over the years for women’s gymnastics has grown exponentially, but most times during our home meets, especially before biggest crowd I had ever competed in front of. Having this big audience, and being able to physically see this rise in popularity, there was not a large audience. When it came time for nationals, that was by far the in the numbers and feel the support of a much larger crowd made this element of the competition even more meaningful, because, typically, this isn’t the norm.
In 2019, when Bridgeport was the “home” team for this competition, our facility underwent a complete transformation to be able to host. Our entire back wall was redone with a custom purple banner with some of the biggest names of the program from years prior on the left, moving to current members of the team on the right. Huge sets of bleachers were brought in; there was some new equipment specifically bought for this meet; we got new leotards (which was usually a once-a-year occurrence): Everything was made to look its best in preparation. These physical changes made this competition even more special, knowing how much effort and love was going into this to make this the best experience it could be.
Similar to podium meets or other national competitions, the first day at the site is the training day. The training day is your opportunity to familiarize yourself with these new surroundings, potentially new and not yet broken-in equipment, and get an overall feel for this environment. During practice days you are usually given 20-30 minutes on each event like you would in the beginning of a competition, to practice, make adjustments or fix lineups if necessary. This training day is extremely important, not just physically to feel well-prepared in your skills, but mentally to let go of any anxiety you had been holding onto leading up to this point.
This first night of nationals is also for the banquet which is one of my favorite memories of this weekend! This banquet recognizes scholar-athletes and individuals who are the recipients of yearly awards like “Newcome”, “Specialist”, or “Coach” of the Year. This is a time of celebration for all that has gone into that season and to recognize the hard work of not only the athletes, but the coaches, administration, and support staff who made the success of the year possible.
After the banquet, the three day stretch of competition finally gets started! Similar to division one nationals, the team qualifications here are decided by rankings as to what teams will compete in what session, as well as the individuals who will rotate with these qualifying teams. At any championship, the evening session is typically the one you want to be in, and for this year, our team qualified into that night session along with Texas Woman’s, Cornell, and University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC). In order to get into the team finals, which was the ultimate goal, you had to qualify in the top two spots out of each semifinal. That being said, this extra pressure was definitely felt in order to just get to the team final in our home gym, and be able to compete for this title.
We ended up finishing first in this semifinal, just a little under a tenth above UIC, who was one of the projected winners of this competition. Knowing now what we were capable of in this type of environment, in this magnitude, that we could be consistent and block out the noise, helped tremendously going into what was the important meet of the year less than 24 hours later.
Preparing for a double meet weekend is difficult; prioritizing rest when you have less than a day to be at full strength again is a challenge, but at a competition like this, adrenaline and excitement fully take over. Going into this final day, I had actually broken my big toe in the semifinals, jamming it on one of my front passes on floor. Knowing however in the circumstances I had to compete, this pain was completely numbed by the excitement and nerves of the day. Once we started competing, getting that team title was our entire focus.
This meet, without a doubt, is one of most exciting competitions I have ever competed at. Being in the final against Lindenwood, UIC, and Air Force was a memory I will always cling to for how much our team truly worked together to put up our best. There were moments in the competition when all you could hear was the crowd screaming for floor or cheering for every stuck landing, but there were times when the silence was even louder. I remember so vividly going for my vault and the noise completely going away, and up until that point, I had never experienced anything like that. Being utterly focused on what I had to do, and quite literally, blocking everything around me out. I imagine everyone who competes at a competition where there is so much at stake feels something similar, but, this moment again I will remember forever.
USAG Nationals is one of the unique competitions that still has event finals and this weekend was my only experience with it throughout my entire NCAA career. This third day, the excitement doesn’t necessarily wear off, but the exhaustion absolutely sets in. For this third day, the top eight individuals on each event throughout both sessions of semifinals qualify to compete for an individual title. The mentality flips here when for the past three months of season you have been competing for your team, you are now competing solely for yourself. The routines in finals also are done one at a time, so quite literally, all eyes are on you. While this may seem, and somewhat was, incredibly daunting, how exciting is it that you made it to this point! As a freshman, I don’t think I understood how unique this actually was. Especially now as this element of competition doesn’t really exist anymore with the exception of this meet, I can now appreciate it looking back on it even more.
This competition means so much to so many. It’s an opportunity to be a part of an environment you otherwise may have never had the chance to compete in. It gives athletes of programs who may not have as many resources the chance to really be the center of attention and love from the gymnastics community as a whole. What really stood out to me as we prepared and competed at this meet was the investment of everyone. The school gave us the same support they did to that of other sports, families, and friends came from all over to be a part of this, and the entirety of the gymnastics community was cheering us on. This love and support, the opportunity to experience this firsthand, is absolutely what I will take away from this and will always be so grateful for, as I’m sure so many who have been a part of this, do as well.
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Article by Julianna Roland
