January 5, 2007

Inside Chat with Freshmen Standouts

Inside Gymnastics

The 2007 collegiate season begins this week for many teams. Inside Gymnastics chats with two incoming freshmen and former U.S. national team members, Hollie Vise and Sarah Shire.

A U.S. national team member from 2002 – 2006, Shire is predicted to have a breakout freshman year. Though she recently suffered from a broken elbow, she hardly spent time off the equipment as she taught herself a new beam series, a one-arm back handspring layout step-out, in order to prevent herself from falling behind. Her dedication and determination paid off as she is expected to compete in her first collegiate competition. Inside Gymnastics chatted with Shire, who placed ninth in the all-around at the 2005 Visa Championships, over the holidays about Utah, her expectations for the upcoming season and more.

Inside: What made you select Utah?

Shire: I picked Utah for the tradition and all the NCAA Championships they have won. Winning an NCAA Championship is one of my main goals. I also picked it because of the coaching staff here. They’re amazing, and they helped me through the recruiting process and still while I am here they are helping me so much. I love all the girls too, and when I came to visit I just knew I belonged here.

Inside: What other schools did you consider?

Shire: I considered University of Missouri because it was so close to home, and Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, UCLA and Michigan. But I narrowed it down to mainly Missouri, Alabama and Utah. I really didn’t spend that much time looking at schools though because I was still doing the elite thing, and so I just kind of picked a school and stuck with it. I love Utah so it was an easy choice.

Inside: What is Greg Marsden like as a coach?

Shire: Working with Greg is really great. We have a good relationship to a point where I know what I need to get done, but he makes sure I get it done. There are days where I need a little extra push, some days more than others, and he kind of has to be there to get me going. But I feel like I want to work for him, and I know he is doing everything in his power to make me the best gymnast I can be. I appreciate all the hard work he puts in. He pushes me, but we have a good understanding that at the end of the day he is just looking out for me and my best interest.

Inside: What were pre-season workouts like?

Shire: We did a lot of conditioning, and during this conditioning I got to see how the girls worked and who does this and who does that. We were put in groups, and it was really nice because they didn’t just put us with other freshman. Instead they put us with upper classroom which was nice because now we’re all friends and not just a pack of freshman.

Inside: How was the transition to college gymnastics?

Shire: Coming to college was different not only with gymnastics, but with school as well. Obviously with high school you have a set schedule. For me, I went to school from 8 -12 p.m., and then I went to practice until 7 p.m. But the nice thing with college is you have a couple classes per day, and it changes every day. You are very independent. You go when you need to go and then when you’re done you leave. And then you come to gym and when our workouts start [the coaches tell us what our assignments are] and when we get it done we can go home. The sooner you get your assignment done, the sooner you go home. So that is some incentive. If you are ready to rotate your event early then you can do that. It makes for a less stressful day because we leave by 5 p.m., and then we have time to eat and do some homework. And it is also nice because every day is a little different.

Inside: What is the atmosphere like during practice?

Shire: I wouldn’t call it light, but the atmosphere is a little more upbeat and more relaxed, but at the same time we get our assignment done. So we can laugh and joke around, but when it comes to getting your assignment done, you get it done. But we’re all upbeat, and the music is loud, and it’s enthusiastic and fun.

Inside: Are you keeping the same skill level you had while competing as an elite?

Shire: No, I’ve changed things a lot, some because of injury and some just because of wear and tear on my body. I’m doing routines right now I’m extremely confident with and on my worst days I can still get through a set. It’s a lot more comforting because I’m not stressing over gym as much. I come in and do my routines, and they are still big routines, but they are just not as long. I wouldn’t say they are easy, but right now in college it is all about perfection. So the difficulty is less, but people will see a different in my precision and my form. The overall look will be different, and plus it will be a little more fun for me because I’ll get to show it off a little more and have fun.

Inside: Are you planning on competing in the all-around?

Shire: I plan on it in January. Actually, I recently broke two bones in my elbow, but it’s already healing, and I should be ready by our first meet. Before [I broke the two bones] I was doing full routines on every event. But at the same time our deep is extremely deep on every event. I’ll just be happy if I compete on any event. I know there is a place for me, but there is also a place for everybody else. It almost feels like you are competing every day in the gym with your own team because there are eight of us who can compete on every event extremely well. The depth is crazy deep!

Inside: What other expectations do you have for this year?

Shire: I definitely expect a high finish for the team at the NCAA Championships, and I know we’ll definitely have individual winners at championships, but it’s a marathon, and the next five months are going to be extremely grueling. At the same time it’s going to be the best months of our lives. And it’s going to be awesome to have the NCAA Championships here at Utah!

Inside: What do you like to do when you are not training?

Shire: I like to go shopping and hang out with friends. I’ve met so many fun people here. I live with the freshman, and they are like my sisters already on top of my other teammates. And we’ve met other athletes, and we hang out with them and go to movies. Sometimes just chilling and watching a movie is the best thing.

Inside: Describe yourself as a person, not a gymnast…

Shire: I like to laugh a lot, and I have a lot of fun with my friends because I only surround myself with fun and happy people. That is what life is all about! I get goofy sometimes, but I’m also serious in the gym, and I think you need that balance. I appreciate my teammates and friends because they help me stay that way. They remind me during tough times to keep having fun, and I need to keep the mood light in order to be successful!

Inside: Who are some of your closest teammates at Utah?

Shire: The freshmen are probably my closest teammates because I live with them, and we go through everything together. But I have a very close connection with Nina [Kim] and Ashley [Postell] because we came from the same background with elite and transferring over to college. They understand what I’ve been through, and we have memories from 2001 and 2002 that seem so long ago. We just reminisce about that stuff. It’s so funny to think how we used to be, and then to be here together again at Utah. We didn’t plan that! But, honestly, I could say something good about every single person on the team.

Inside: Do you still keep in touch with your teammates at GAGE?

Shire: I do keep in touch with them actually, especially with Sarah Demeo. I get the elite scoop from her. I also keep in touch with a lot of our level 10s like Natalie Ratcliff. We keep in touch a lot through the computer.

Inside: What other NCAA freshman gymnasts do you think will make immediate impacts this season?

Shire: Courtney McCool, who is my former teammate, will be awesome. You have to look out for Marcia Newby and also Casey Overton. I think it all depends with how we deal with the transition. We’ll just have to see how everyone handles it.