Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Corri Bradbury and Veronica Eddy recently capped off their 2000 seasons by representing the Steamboat Stars at the Colorado Springs gymnastics sectional meet.

Eddy, who is 12, qualified for the sectional meet along with Bradbury, who is 10, by posting a score of 32 or higher during each of their six meets throughout the season.

The sectionals took place Dec. 2.

At every regular-season meet, the Stars competed in beams, bars, vaults and floor exercises.

Seven members are on the Stars, including Eddy and Bradbury, and Genna Bradley, Brianna Shaffer, Heidi Lord, Jourdi Hill and Corina Wentzel.

Members on the Stars are 7 to 12 years old.

Eddy placed 15th in bars at the Colorado Springs sectionals and walked away with a final score of 32 in the level six division.

Bradbury fared well, too, totaling 33.65 points in the level five division. Both girls missed making the state gymnastics tournament by a slim margin.

About 100 individuals from around the state competed at sectionals.

The Stars were young and inexperienced this season, but their work ethic since day one of the season was impressive, said first-year head coach Eric Svendsen.

"It was better than I expected," Svendsen said. "When I first came here (in March), it seemed like they weren't ready for it.

"It's been a dramatic change from the first meet to the last."

Svendsen said the entire team showed tremendous improvement since the beginning of the season, which began Sept. 9.

"It was really a learning year for everyone involved," Svendsen said. "They grew as a team and really began to help each other out where they knew they needed it.

"They were all really good with each other. Their scores grew incredibly through the season."

The Stars may have already concluded their season, but the girls will continue to practice year-round, Svendsen said.

During practices, which generally consume about 12 hours per week, the Stars keep in shape by participating in drills and working on basic skills, conditioning and stunts. They also keep busy practicing many tricks, Svendsen said.

Lord, who is 10, said she didn't mind the daily practices because they enable her to improve her gymnastic skills.

"It makes you feel good when you can accomplish things when you thought before that you couldn't," Lord said. "Sometimes it's hard work but it is always fun."

Shaffer, who is 11, said the most difficult aspect of practice was trying to master inverted handstands. Shaffer's favorite event all season, she said, was the bars.

"They're easy," said Shaffer, as she sported a grin of confidence. "It doesn't involve all of your body, at least not as much as floor and beam and vault."