THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607120153
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BRIAN FRENCH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 82 lines
MOUNTED ON THE BACK WALL of the Ocean Tumblers gymnasium is a large white sign, listing the gymnasts from that program to reach ``elite'' status.
The bottom of the sign explains that the stars next to the Tumblers' names represent their levels of proficiency. A blue star means he or she is a junior national elite gymnast; a yellow star, membership on the junior national team.
Upon further inspection, the legend on the bottom of that sign appears to be incomplete. There's a listing for gymnasts who reach the junior international elite stage, but no star to go with it.
Thanks to Tami Harris, there's a a need to find a new star for the board.
That's because the 14-year-old Harris in April became the first junior international elite gymnast in the 23-year history of Ocean Tumblers.
Harris, a 5-foot-3, 110-pound rising freshman at Kellam, is now one of roughly 50 junior international elite gymnasts in the entire country. Alexis Brion of Gymstrada is the only other junior international elite in Hampton Roads. Brion is ranked second nationally.
Although Harris achieved junior international status in her first try, her qualifying meet did not go off without a hitch. She took an early spill on the uneven bars - ironically, one of her best events.
``I didn't think I was going to go on,'' said Harris. ``My adrenaline was really pumping. I tried to block out the pain and concentrate on the meet.
``When I competed, it didn't hurt.''
Harris followed up her qualifying performance with her debut at the international elite level, finishing 23rd at the U.S. Classic in Colorado Springs. That showing earned Harris a No. 29 ranking nationally.
``We were pleased with where she finished for her first meet (at that level),'' Ocean Tumblers owner Diane Berry said. ``She had four strong events that day.''
Harris began doing gymnastics when she was 6. Her parents signed her up to keep her from ``bouncing off the walls,'' as she said.
Harris apparently stood out right away.
``A coach noticed me on my first day in recreational gym,'' she said. ``He asked me if I wanted to join his competitive team. And of course, I said, `Yes.' ''
The next thing anyone knew, Harris was on the long track to elite status.
USA Gymnastics, the sport's governing body, rates athletes on a scale from level four to level 10. If a level 10 gymnast does well enough at a designated qualifying meet, and there are only two a year in this region, they become a junior (15-and-under) or senior (16-and-up) national elite gymnast. It takes another top performance at a zone meet for a national elite gymnast to reach the ranking of international elite.
At 7, Harris entered the rating process ahead of schedule, coming in at level five. From there, she moved quickly up the ladder, skipping levels seven and nine, until she qualified for junior national standing in 1994.
There were a couple of bumps and bruises along the way.
Between November 1994 and March 1995, Harris suffered a stress fracture in her heel, and also had cases of tonsilitis and appendicitis. But in each case she came back to form earlier than coaches were expecting.
``She's very coachable,'' said Tony Hampton, one of her coaches at Ocean Tumblers. ``Her mental attitude is very strong for being 14, she always comes to practice with a good attitude, and always does what she needs to do.
``She makes it fun to be a coach.''
Harris' next goal: Senior international status. She turns 16 in 1998, and she must qualify again to reach that level. The senior internationals is where Olympians, from Dominique Dawes to Harris' personal favorite, Shannon Miller, are culled.
Assuming Harris qualifies as a senior international, the focus will be on Sydney, where at turn of the millennium Harris may be taking her turn at Olympic glory.
Hampton prefers that Harris not dwell on the 2000 Summer Olympics, however.
``It's a nice dream, no doubt, but we don't want to put something like that in anyone's head this early,'' he said. ``We concentrate on a series of short-term goals instead of something a long way down the road. There's more to gymnastics than the Olympics.''
``The Olympics are my ultimate goal,'' said Harris, ``but I'm more concerned right now with reaching senior international status. I'd be a little disappointed if I didn't make it, but really happy if I do.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Photo by GARY C. KNAPP
Tami Harris, a 14-year-old rising freshman at Kellam High, is the
first junior international elite gymnast in the 23-year history of
Ocean Tumblers. by CNB