Gym dandies

Eudy, Weigand, Ekegren finish off busy season with regional, invitational

Allison Eudy's high school gymnastics career will have a happy ending after all.

The 18-year-old senior from Kalispell will close it out this weekend at the prestigious USA Regional Championships in Whitefish.

"Not yet, but I will be (nervous)," said Eudy, when she competes tonight at 5:30 on bars in the Level 8 competition.

"I usually do really well under pressure. It will be bittersweet."

The Flathead Gymnastics Academy (FGA) veteran advanced to the regional championships with her qualifying score, 8.65, at state competition earlier this month in Missoula. It was the culmination of seven intense months of training for Eudy following a year-long break from the sport.

"Rather disappointing, but that's OK," she said of her state showing.

"I wasn't planning on doing real well (this year). I just wanted to be back in it."

Eudy is the lone FGA participant in the regional. Amanda Weigand, 15, suffered a foot injury during state qualifying, which kept her off the official entry list. She could compete, though, if a gymnast from Montana pulls out.

Weigand posted scores high enough during the regular season to have qualified her.

Regionals are for Level 8, 9 and 10 gymnasts. Region 2 consists of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Age group winners from Level 9 advance to Westerns while Level 10 move on to Nationals.

FGA's Andrea Ekegren, 13, will compete Sunday in a Level 7 Invitational at the conclusion of the regional in Whitefish along with Weigand.

Oddly enough, Eudy suffered a foot injury while competing in her favorite event - bars. It was also a crippling event mentally.

"Took a year off," said Eudy. "The foot is kind of an important part in gymnastics."

Then she got the gymnastic bug again and decided to give it another try.

"I'd see it on TV, I just missed it," she said.

"I couldn't stay out of it."

So back to FGA she went. Her still-tender foot prevented her from competing in the floor exercise and vault, which left her no choice but to specialize in bars and beam.

"It was really hard being out of it," she said.

"You lose all your strength."

Eudy said she did spend some time in the weight room, "but it still wasn't the same strength you get from gymnastics.

"The first three to four months I was just getting my strength back. It was so hard."

Bars "generally the hardest event for most people," said Eudy, while she calls beam "the scariest."

Eudy was a Level 8 gymnast when she suffered the injury. She had all the "tricks" to compete in Level 9 this year, but elected to stay in Level 8.

"We (coaches and I) decided I would do better in Level 8," she said.

Eudy has no outlandish aspirations for the weekend, but would love to finish in style.

"Probably just to place," she said.

"I want to place."

Eudy will attend Texas Tech in the fall and plans to major in pre-medicine. Gymnastics are also in the honor-student's picture. She will compete on the Red Raider club team.

Weigand injured her ankle at the state meet during the floor exercise, the first event. She rolled it after landing on her second front tuck.

"I sat down, stood back up and finished my routine," said Weigand.

But she was also finished for the day.

Her score in the floor was 8.05.

"I would have got an 8.55 if I wouldn't have sat down," she said.

Weigand says the ankle is still sore, but says she can compete on it.

"I usually don't get hurt," she said.

"Just bumps and bruises."

Her coach, Jeanine Henneford, says Weigand has handled the disappointment well.

"It's a learning experience for her, a big bummer," said Henneford.

"It makes you a stronger person. She's good, consistent in all four events."

Henneford says Ekegren is the healthiest of the three heading into the weekend.

"She's had a good year," added Henneford.

"It's her first year in Level 7 going optional."

Ekegren will compete in all four events Sunday evening. At state she finished third in the all-around, having placed second in vault, third in bars and beam and fifth in floor.

This marks her 10th year of gymnastics.

"There are a lot of older girls (I compete against in Level 7)," she said.

"A lot more competition."

Ekegren's favorite event - bars.

"You can do more fun tricks on bars," she said, "but I do better on beam.

"I like to be able to stay in shape, I like the thrill of learning a trick, learning new things," she said of what she enjoys the most about gymnastics.

"A lot of kids want to go to the Olympics, but that's not my dream. I'm in it for the fun, (for) learning a new trick, sticking something for the first time."