2009 Season Preview
1/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Jan. 7, 2009
The Air Force women's gymnastics team is gearing up for an exciting season in 2009. Despite the fact that there is only one senior on the roster, Air Force returns a wealth of talent for the 2009 campaign. There are nine letterwinners in the lineup, including three USAG All-Americans and four that saw action at the NCAA Regional Championships. In addition, the Falcons added four impressive newcomers.
The 2009 Falcons come from all across the country, spanning from New Jersey to Louisiana to Washington. Only two members of the squad hail from the same state, giving the Falcons a diverse roster.
The experience brought by the returning gymnasts and the excitement surrounding the newcomers looks to be a winning combination for success.
THE TEAM
The Falcons look to build on the success of last season, which saw the team collect its highest overall score in nearly four years, while also earning the most USAG All-America certificates and sending the most gymnasts to the NCAA regional meet since that time. Air Force, which also claimed its first victory in two years, plans on continuing that momentum in 2009.
THE SENIOR
Although there is only one senior on the Falcons' roster, Abbey Rogers (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the team's returning MVP, brings a wealth of knowledge to the Falcons' program. Rogers, who shared Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Gymnast of the Year honors in 2008, will be called upon to lead the young Air Force squad.
The senior has become a constant force in the rotation as an all-around performer over the past few years, participating in the NCAA Regional Championships as a junior. Throughout her career, she has claimed six all-conference accolades and earned multiple Gymnast of the Week awards from the MPSF.
Rogers will also provide solid leadership for the program away from the gym. She is a two-time MPSF academic all-conference and a two-time National Association of College Gymnastics Coaches/Women all-academic team selection, in addition to being the program's first CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
THE JUNIORS
The Falcons' junior class features two USAG All-Americans and NCAA regional participants in Michelle Denise (Kennewick, Wash.) and Kayla Kincade (Lakewood, Colo.). This duo has become a consistent presence in the rotation, adding high marks to the Falcons' overall score.
After being sidelined by injury midway through her freshman campaign, Denise came back to participate in every meet, including the regional competition. A USAG All-American on the uneven bars as a sophomore, Denise has claimed four all-conference honors during her career. A strong all-around competitor for the Falcons, Denise will be called on once again to help bolster the Falcons' lineup.
Over her first two years, Kincade has become a stable factor in the program's rotation. Her presence can especially be felt on the balance beam, where she is a 2008 USAG All-American, two-time all-conference performer and regional competitor.
The junior class is also represented by Aftan Boudreaux (New Orleans, La.) and Stephanie Frick (Phoenix, Ariz.). Although injury kept Boudreaux from competing as a freshman, she rebounded last year and become a significant threat for the Falcons on the uneven bars. Frick has also been plagued by injuries during her first two years, but is ready for another season of competitive action.
THE SOPHOMORES
Brittany Dutton (Tucker, Ga.), a 2008 USAG All-American, highlights the four-member sophomore class. Dutton, the program's Outstanding Freshman in 2008, became an all-around leader for the Falcons and plans on continuing that success in the upcoming season. After joining the all-around lineup in the fifth meet of the year, Dutton became a solid power for the program. In addition to earning USAG All-America honors in the all-around and floor exercise, Dutton earned all-conference honors on the balance beam and in the all-around.
Like Dutton, Lisa Wong (Silver Spring, Md.) became a prominent addition to the program's rotation as a freshman. She competed on the vault, balance beam and floor exercise in every meet and joined the all-around lineup for eight. The recipient of the team's "Most Consistent" award in 2008, Wong continued to improve throughout the course of the season. She set career-best marks on the vault and beam during the last regular season meet and improved her beam and all-around scores during the conference championships.
The emergence of Holland Davis (Dadeville, Ala.) and Ashley Green (Porterville, Calif.) round out the sophomore class. Although injury kept both out of the lineup during their freshman seasons, they gained valuable experience in the gym each day.
THE FRESHMEN
Air Force added four highly talented freshmen to its roster in 2009. The quartet brings in a valuable amount of experience at the club level to the Falcons' rotation. All four gymnasts bring tremendous resumes to the Falcons' rotation, including numerous championship titles at the club level.
Colby Chaput (Worcester, Mass.) comes to the Academy having earned several top finishes as a member of the Atlantic Gymnastics Club. The 2007 regional floor exercise champion, Chaput earned several top-six finishes at the national meet. In addition, Chaput claimed a pair of top-three finishes at the 2008 state championships.
Like Chaput, classmate Jenna Dudley (Lynden, Wash.) collected championship honors while competed for the Leading Edge Gymnastics Academy North. Going four-for-four on her routines, Dudley won the all-around at the regional meet during her senior season.
Fellow freshman Samantha Jones (Sewell, N.J.) claimed four MVP awards at Washington Township High School, while claiming four conference and league championship titles. The 2008 WTHS Athlete of the Year, Jones was a two-time sectional champion. As a member of the Cherry Hill Gymnastics Academy, Jones was a four-time Level 10 regional qualifier and two-time U.S. Junior Olympic national qualifier.
The Falcons' final newcomer is Katie Shetley (St. Louis, Mo.), a Level 10 champion on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, floor exercise and all-around as a member of the Team Central Gymnastics Club. She was also a three-time state and regional champion at the Level 9 meet. Shetley isn't the only member of her family at the Academy, as her twin sister is a diver on the Academy's diving team.
Chaput, Dudley, Jones and Shetley all earned academic honors during the high school careers. Chaput was a High Honor recipient, while Dudley was a member of the Presidential Honor Roll. Jones and Shetley were named to the honor roll.
THE COACHES
The program enters its third season with Day at the helm. Day, the 2008 NCAA North Central Regional Coach of the Year, will be joined on the sideline by assistant coaches Holly Tedeschi and Maj Anita Mack. Tedeschi is entering her ninth season with the program, while Mack is beginning her second.
Lynn Day, who returns for her second season as the team's choreographer, rounds out the Falcons' coaching staff.
