THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702070297
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA McLEROY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 74 lines
THERE ARE A LOT of distractions at a gymnastics meet.
Competitors twisting, turning and flashing across mats. Others racing towards vaults. Fans clapping. Nerves.
Throw in a complication like a missed step and concentration can become virtually impossible.
Just ask Darden Wilee. The Great Bridge senior is no stranger to overcoming obstacles in and out of the gym. But lately, the trials in the gym have become more daunting.
Wilee debuted in high school competition this season. She has competed with Ocean Tumblers, but spent the last year-and-a-half working her way back from hand surgery. She has been a consistent, dangerous element for the Wildcats, leading them to an unbeaten season.
In the past few weeks, though, things have become more complicated for Wilee. Consistent in all-around competition, she has struggled lately on beam.
``I'm having the worst season on beam,'' she said. ``I've fallen in the last three meets on my back handspring series. I'm usually real consistent on that. We've been working on that. I'm trying to keep my nerves down.''
The latest slip came in Wednesday's Southeastern District meet at Western Branch. Aside from the beam, Wilee turned in a stellar performance. She finished third in the all-around competition with a 37.25 and led the Wildcats to a second-place finish. Sister-school Hickory won the event and both schools will compete in the regionals at Warwick High Feb. 15.
``I'm excited for them, because they're part of our team,'' Wilee said of her former classmates now competing at Hickory.
The meet started well for Wilee, who won her favorite event, the floor exercise, with a 9.55. She took second on bars with a 9.5, tied for second on vault with a 9.225 and was sixth on the beam with an 8.75.
``It makes me so much more nervous,'' Wilee said of the beam. ``If I stick this, I don't have to be stressed. But if I don't . . . ''
Wilee has both the experience and the tenacity to overcome her recent troubles before Saturday's regional competition.
More than a year ago, she underwent surgery to ``clean up'' damaged tissue in her hands. The Level 10 Ocean Tumblers competitor had to put her career on hold while recuperating. There are 10 levels of competition, then the top tier known as Elite, which is an Olympic-caliber group.
From November 1995 to June 1996, Wilee rehabilitated and stayed out of the gym.
``Over the summer, I decided I wanted to see what I could do,'' Wilee said.
She began light workouts twice a week, keeping up her skills. Now, she practices four days a week with the Great Bridge team and logs another 20 hours of training with Ocean Tumblers. The workouts have paid off and put Wilee in position for a regional title.
``I think because I'm so glad to be back, I don't get tired of it,'' Wilee said of the hours of workouts. ``I love it. It's not very stressful, it's more of a fun thing. Our entire team is so close, it's unbelievable. It's very relaxing actually.''
It's hard to fathom the flips, turns and tumbles on a four-inch beam or other devices as relaxing to an outsider. But for Wilee, it's a way of life and a way to express herself. Especially her top event, the floor exercise.
``I can just get out there and be myself,'' Wilee said. ``I have fun with it.''
Surprisingly, it's the floor routine, not the uneven bars, that bothers her hands.
``The bars don't hurt at all,'' she said. ``It's one of those unknown things to man.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY KNAPP
The Southeastern District meet started well for Darden Wilee, who
won her favorite event, the floor exercise, with a 9.55. She took
second on bars, tied for second on vault and was sixth on the
balance beam.
KEYWORDS: HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS