EVERETT — As she navigates through her daily life, grace is not exactly Kelsey Morris’ strong suit. She bumps into some things, trips over others, and all because she is, in her own words, “kind of a klutz.”
That self-assessment draws a laughing confirmation from mom Melissa Morris. Her 15-year-old daughter, she said, is “klutzy like a teen.”
But everyday life is one thing and the acrobatic sport of gymnastics quite another. And if the one provides Morris with occasional bumps and bruises, the other is a world in which she soars — both in actual flight and in the magnitude of her accomplishments.
Morris, a soon-to-be sophomore at Snohomish High School, shared first place in the vaulting competition at the recent USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic National Championships in Kissimmee, Fla. Entered in the Level 10 Junior B age group, Morris twice performed a Yurchenko layout with a twist, which is a perilous feat involving flips and twists done at full speed, and requiring equal amounts of athleticism and courage.
“Some of the things she does are absolutely frightening,” said Melissa Morris, probably speaking for herself and her daughter.
To be a top vaulter, “you have to have a lot of courage,” acknowledged Tony Ammons, Morris’ coach at Everett’s Leading Edge Gymnastics Academy. “What Kelsey has is the ability to subdue that fear. It’s there … but I think she’s just outgrown that fear.
“And with her spatial awareness,” he added, “she’s pretty much a cat in the air. She knows where the ground is.”
From a judging standpoint, the key element of vaulting is the landing, and at nationals Morris landed both vaults with absolute precision. No little off-balance hops or steps at the end which would have cost her points and the title.
“My coaches said I was like a human lawn dart,” said Morris, whose winning score was 9.650. “I literally stuck my landing on both of them.”
“She put together two really good jumps,” Ammons said, “and I’m really proud of her. I’ve always thought Kelsey is a player in any competition. She’s an extremely hard-working kid. Highly self-motivated and very competitive. She has all those great things about her so, no, what she did (at nationals) didn’t surprise me.
“She is,” he went on, “a good example of somebody who works hard Monday through Friday, and then competes relatively easily because she really transposes the workout over a competition, rather than not working hard enough and then going to a meet and feeling nervous and unprepared. Kelsey is way above that.”
As a small girl Morris tried ballet, but instead of dainty prances and twirls she was more interested in doing cartwheels and somersaults. And at that point, she said, “the teacher told my mom that I was a little out of control and that maybe gymnastics would be better for me.”
Better, indeed, as Morris has blossomed into one of the nation’s best for her age group. In addition to her tie for first in the vault, she finished tied for 11th on the uneven bars, 12th in the floor exercise and tied for 17th on the balance beam, giving her sixth place in the all-around scoring.
Of course, being an exceptional gymnast requires a considerable amount of time and effort. Morris trains five days a week, and usually for over four hours a session, which means she gives up “a lot of after-school activities and doing things with friends. There’s just not a lot of sitting-around time,” she said.
“She’s paid the price,” her mother said, “but I think now she’s seeing the rewards are worth it.” For her daughter, gymnastics “is her passion. She has never not wanted to come here (to the club for training). She loves it.”
Next up for Morris, who attended the recent U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials in Philadelphia as a spectator, is a July 3-14 cultural and athletic exchange trip to Japan with a team of standout gymnasts from the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” Morris said, “so I’m just really excited to get there.”
“What an amazing experience that will be for her,” said her mother.
Morris has three more years of high school ahead, and after that she wants to compete in college. According to Ammons, “she’s already on the radar” of top collegiate programs around the country, although recruiters cannot talk to Morris until her junior year of high school.
“But she’s going to be highly sought after,” Morris said. “I think she’s going to be surprised by which schools are going to look at her.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
