Spring Break
Hard work - going a long way
Nick Lilja
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Sports
While it's nothing new, it's also not getting old. The Beavers crave a chance to compete for a national title, and the road to Nationals rolls through Regionals, which also happens to roll through Corvallis. The Beavers have been at the door of a National title since the Super Six was introduced. They want to feel the cold metal of the national championship ring, feel on top of the world on the podium and know that they are the best.
And this year might be the year. If those engineering majors are right and solid infrastructure is the key to stability, it's easy to see why the Beavers are ranked seventh in the nation. And it all starts on campus with hard practice at the gym.
To an uneducated observer it looks more like chaos than practice. Everything happening at once, like living through a tornado. Even someone on Adderall couldn't focus. And if someone ever tells you that gymnastics practice is easy, take another look at that person. Chances are he's been swimming with the sharks - with a bloody nose.
It's hard to show up every day and put yourself through five hours of flips, turns, handstands and dismounts. But this group supports each other like a surrogate family. They provide more support than a corset. They rave that through this support they are able to achieve and continue to repeat awesome performances, meet after meet and year after year.
So the hum-drum world of the Oregon State gymnastics team rolls on. Nothing new, nothing special. Or is it? A team that can consistently win, consistently push for a national title seems like more than that.
Imagine a basketball team that made it to the NCAA Tournament so many years in a row, it became habit. Imagine a baseball team that was in the post-season every year for nearly 30 years. Or think if a football team pumped out 32 All-Americans - 11 repeat All-Americans - in 30 years.
Nothing special? Try downright amazing.
Nick Lilja, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com, 737-6378
And this year might be the year. If those engineering majors are right and solid infrastructure is the key to stability, it's easy to see why the Beavers are ranked seventh in the nation. And it all starts on campus with hard practice at the gym.
To an uneducated observer it looks more like chaos than practice. Everything happening at once, like living through a tornado. Even someone on Adderall couldn't focus. And if someone ever tells you that gymnastics practice is easy, take another look at that person. Chances are he's been swimming with the sharks - with a bloody nose.
It's hard to show up every day and put yourself through five hours of flips, turns, handstands and dismounts. But this group supports each other like a surrogate family. They provide more support than a corset. They rave that through this support they are able to achieve and continue to repeat awesome performances, meet after meet and year after year.
So the hum-drum world of the Oregon State gymnastics team rolls on. Nothing new, nothing special. Or is it? A team that can consistently win, consistently push for a national title seems like more than that.
Imagine a basketball team that made it to the NCAA Tournament so many years in a row, it became habit. Imagine a baseball team that was in the post-season every year for nearly 30 years. Or think if a football team pumped out 32 All-Americans - 11 repeat All-Americans - in 30 years.
Nothing special? Try downright amazing.
Nick Lilja, sports writer
sports@dailybarometer.com, 737-6378
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