Sitting in a practice at the Michigan Gymnastics Training Center at this time in 2012 nobody would have seen this year’s more than successful and No. 3 ranked gymnastics team coming. From last year with losing girls in top lineup spots to injuries like torn achilles, ankle ligament tears, consistent aches and pains, while holding a team of eleven girls on the 2012 roster and only seven available to compete, the events of last season just didn’t seem like they were actually possible.

      It was evident from the beginning that 2012 was going to be a challenge with the lack of a senior class and new leadership evolving on the team. In addition, the girls were discovering and building confidence and solidity in their gymnastics. Looking through a lens from the inside there seemed to be only a small glimmer of hope at the other end in the midsts of all the chaos of injury and with seven left to compete. Although it may not have been explicitly stated, there seemed to be a battle of the thought of who would go next? When was enough going to be enough for this group of gymnasts?

     But that was not what Michigan was going to stand for. When it came down to finishing out the season, the fighting few that were available to compete built each other up calling themselves the “Magnificent 7.” It was a reminder that injury and the negatives didn’t define them, and their identity would be in the success and learning experiences to move forward. The girls were determined to stay positive.

    By the end, Michigan was competing for everything they had been through and for the girls standing next to them that couldn’t be on the floor competing. Michigan was held together with tape on tape on tape, smiles and encouragement from the sidelines; they were not giving up. If it weren’t for the athletic training staff and longtime trainer Lisa Hass, the team would not have pulled through the same way they did.

     As the girls finished out the season they still had their sights set high on nationals, however, that was not the answer they got when the judges put up the final score at regionals. Sometimes in gymnastics the subjectivity of the game can be the most frustrating, but without last year’s loss at regionals, Michigan may not be where they are today.

       With leaders on the team who have been through it all, Michigan knows what it means to be a fighter. Almost every girl on that team has had a major injury that has put them out of the sport for a few months to a few years so coming into this 2013 season there was no question of if these girls had what it takes to be back on top. With their season high score this past weekend against UCLA, that proves how this team keeps improving meet after meet, and they will continue to shock you.

       Sitting down with Junior Shelby Gies, it was apparent Michigan is on a “high” from the past weekend. Shelby sits down to talk with me and I haven’t even started asking her questions. She glows with excitement and happiness talking about the team’s performance at UCLA, “We’re so excited…we’re on a high…we…” She embodies the phrase “The team, the team, team” only speaking in “We” terms rather than “I,” which speaks immensely to her leadership qualities.

      Her thirteen teammates are a part of her—her sisters—people she will remember for the rest of her life. They are in the midst of making Michigan history right now beating Michigan records right and left. It will be exciting to see the rest of the Michigan season.


 
    They will take on Iowa State this weekend on March 16, following with Big Tens at Michigan State, and then into post season. Michigan is looking to place a spot in Super Six to win a national championship, but something that their coaches have always made clear—take it one step at a time.

Q & A with Shelby Gies

Me: Can you describe your feeling after this weekend?
Shelby: This weekend was such a good meet starting post season. We wanted to have a good showing there and show what Michigan is. We drew in the crowds feeling, and used their energy. We are coming off a super big high and it’s going to push us forward these next couple of weekends.

Me: Were you nervous going to UCLA at all?
Shelby: That was probably one of the highest ranked teams that were going against this year, and knowing that it was going to be a battle, knowing it was their home arena, we knew we were going to fight till the end. And that’s exactly what we did. Starting off on beam a little slower with lower scores than usual, and building from that was pretty awesome to see.

Me: After your beam scores how did you get past that because you can’t control that.
Shelby: We have this saying on the team this year that we control the controllables, we can’t control the score, we did the best beam we could, we stayed on and stuck dismounts and we weren’t getting the scores that maybe we should have, but that was in the past and we made up on floor for what we missed on beam.

Me: How did you come off Annette’s fall on bars first up on your last event?
Shelby: We knew we had to hit the last event coming from floor and vault season highs as a team, and came onto bars and had the first fall, I mean you don’t want to say it tightens everyone up, but maybe a little.

Me: Do you think it tightened everyone up?
Shelby: We were confident enough knowing we could hit our routines the last five were strong, not even realizing that Annette fell just continue to hit routine after routine.

Me: What would you say about the line up changes throughout the season?
Shelby: Throughout the year you want to see who fits where best and what position. We have been switching it up to rest people on the more pounding events. It’s nice to have depth to get the same score. It’s good to see who will step up toward end of season. We won’t see line ups until post season. There’s many people vying for many spots and no spot is secure. So you just keep doing your work.

Me: Do you think that’s what adds to your competiveness as a team?
Shelby: Definitely. It’s competitive in the gym as a team. Everybody wants to be competing. Everybody wants that spot. Bev always says that people that aren’t necessarily in lines up are pushing everyone to be better. You never feel complacent.

Me: Do you do mental work this year?
Shelby: We occasionally do mental choreography, more so in preseason, and it’s paying off now.

Me: How did summer practices help what you are doing now?
Shelby: They tried to rearrange the program and to start earlier and get in shape earlier, we made a huge commitment to push through the summer not necessarily gymnasticly [yes, gymnasticly (should be a word!)] but outside with cardio getting stronger- that whole program and even into fall allowed us to stay healthy this year.

Me: Do you think you’re a little more motivated to do the extra work this year?
 Shelby: Last year we came off of something we didn’t experience obviously the past couple of years with a lot of injury. Nothing really went our way. We ended with a bitter taste and we didn’t want to end this year like that. So we were willing to do anything, change anything, we trusted the coaches and selves that we can be better and made that happen.

Me: Does anything particular that the coaches do help you this season?
Shelby:  Each week we come into a new quote on the locker room door that Shannon puts up. He finds a new quote to push us forward. It’s just realizing what we’ve done the past weekend, and what we did doesn’t matter now, we have next week to look to and work harder for the next weekend. We’re always looking ahead.

Me: What would you say is your biggest role on this team?
Shelby:  Upperclassmen in general have a huge leadership role on this team. The team isn’t made up of one leader, it’s made up of many leaders. We’re helping the freshman and sophomores understand what Michigan means to every athlete here, repping that block M and teaching them the tradition of this school.

Me: Can you talk about your journey to Michigan, with injury and such?
Shelby: Yeah, it’s been a lot, before coming here I had a knee injury and wasn’t competing for two years and was in line ups freshman year, and looking at myself of how I was training bars and beam to whatever they need me to do, exhibition floor doing whatever they need of me, just getting back that event have improved my other events. Improvements year to year have been pretty amazing to see. I dedicate that to the coaches.

Me: What would you say keeps you going through all that?
 Shelby: You want to have the feeling of going up there. It never gets old of wanting to stand up there and compete and finish the perfect routine. Just getting to that level again was what I really wanted. My passion just took me there.

Me: You’re a very positive person, how do you keep your positive attitude through life?
Shelby: It’s never easy to keep a positive attitude. I guess I would say being comfortable with myself and knowing that gymnastics is just icing on the cake of everything and it makes everything easier and having the group of girls behind me all the way. Having my teammates, having fun with it. Only having one year left. It’s kind of scary, you want to do everything you can. Knowing it can come to an end makes you enjoy the sport more.

Me: This season is amazing, how do you feel about the big scores this year?
Shelby: It is amazing. I think it’s taking time to actually settle in with us, we’re like can this really happen?  I mean, we believe in ourselves, but actually seeing the outcome is important for us. To see ourselves improve week to week and seeing where we have come from the start of the season.  We’re ready to go to bigger meets, nationals, Super Six and do what we’ve been doing.