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Dom doing the hip hop part of training.
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Sept. 29, 2004
SALT LAKE CITY -
Each week, a Ute gymnast will contribute an excerpt for the Utah Gymnastics Diary. This week's edition of the Utah Gymnastics Journal is provided by junior Dominique D'Oliveira.
Hey there Ute Fans!
First, I'd just like to congratulate our new team captains - Annabeth Eberle and Kristen Riffanacht. They are both very strong personalities and great competitors. Everyone is confident that they will provide strong leadership and help us become one of the best teams in the nation this year! GO RED ROCKS!
I am proud to report that the team has made it through the first week of "required" practices...and rather well I might add! It's always good to get that first week behind you though. We are all working hard and very excited about the coming season. There is so much talent in the gym this year. Everyone feels challenged to be at their very best in order to make the line-up. That will surely make us stronger as a team.
Since we have just started our required workouts, I thought you might be interested in what our training is like. On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, we train from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. We typically do a group warm-up and then work on basics for about 30 minutes. Each day we work on something different. We then divide into two groups. We work bars and beam every day and alternate days for floor and vault. Each rotation is about 45 minutes long with a five-minute break. We end each workout with some type of circuit strength training and stretching. On Wednesday and Saturday, we do two hours of weight training and aerobics. The weight training lifts change about every three weeks. As far as the aerobics go, we do everything from hip-hop classes to boxing and spinning. Just this past Saturday, we did a Latin salsa class. Annette Hill is our strength coach and Jenny Larsen is our aerobics instructor. So we train a total of 20 hours per week, which is what the NCAA rules allow.
This past weekend most of us went to the home football game against Air Force. Another big win for the Utes! I must admit, being from South Africa, it has taken me a while to warm up to American football. But I am beginning to understand the game and with our team doing so well it has really been fun. I still don't understand why we don't have a cricket team though.
Now that the first week is over, and the weekend has left us strong and refreshed, we are ready to go again. Bring it on Greg! If you get a chance, come check us out. Many of you have already been by. That always makes practice a little more fun. We love to show off you know.
Look out for Nat's journal entry next week.
GO UTES!
Dom
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