With a new gym, team, and coach, Alexander’s competition season also brought new scores! Not just ribbons but numbers as in following the Junior Olympic scoring regulations via USA Gymnastics. It was a good year for him as practices (2x/week) were a little more intense and required more discipline and better form. While some routines were similar to ones he’d been working on, he improved greatly on old skills and learned new ones. His roundoff double-back-handspring is definitely a favorite, and his kip on high-bar, a landmark skill.
Though nerves caught the best of him at his very first meet, he learned how to work through them, and Alex liked the competitions with the new scoring, But for his first J.O. season we were really proud of his performance and scores that got stronger and stronger as the year progressed. His best all-around score was 76.54. His highest score of the season: a 8.4 on pommel. He took 3rd place in rings at States for his age group, and his team won second place and third place at a couple of meets. He certainly didn’t medal at every meet but the Michigan Open was a great meet for the whole team and Alex took home some bling for several events in his best meet of the season. Well done, Alex! Your hard work looks good on you!
