2006 Senior Profiles

03/15/06 5:59PM

Williamsburg - Senior Profile: Jess Baker

Jess Baker’s four years at William and Mary have been painful, literally. The senior has dealt with various injuries since her sophomore season, missing significant time in each of the last three seasons.
“I never really was injured during club gymnastics,” said Baker. “It only started once I got here, probably just because I’ve gotten older and your body just can’t take it anymore. Pushing through the pain and doing things the best to your ability when you’re hurt is a very big part of this sport, especially at the college level because everyone is in pain.”
Despite, the tough road, Baker has made the most of her time at the College with a little help from her teammates along the way, particularly fellow senior Kristen Gaidish.
“We could have a good time in a cardboard box if you put the two of us in one,” admits Baker.
The friendships and camaraderie with her teammates is what Baker will look back on and miss the most.
“On our team, everyone is best friends with each other. That’s what made me come and stick it out here.”
Well, Baker, Gaidish, Kate Magee and Brittany Gibbs did stick it out, and tonight’s tri-meet will mark the final home competition for the four seniors. Baker sat down and chatted for a while earlier this week about her career, the season and her plans after graduation.

On Sunday (3/12), you competed for the first time this season in the meet vs. UNC. How tough has it been having to sit out so much time during your senior year with a foot injury, especially after missing a lot of last season as well?

JB: Well, my sophomore year I was actually hurt too. It wasn’t the thing I have now though, I hurt the bottom of my foot sophomore year. It has been hard not being able to compete and do gymnastics because it has been such a big part of my life for so long. I think the main thing that kept me wanting to stay with the team is my teammates. I would do anything for them, and without them, I don’t know if I would have been able to stick out my senior season because I knew I would be hurt for most of the season. But now that I am feeling better, I’m really looking forward to competing in the last couple meets.

This is the same question I asked Brittany and Kate, but how tough is it mentally as a college gymnast, knowing your body is barely able to keep up physically with the stress it goes through?

JB: I never really was injured during club gymnastics. It only started once I got here, probably just because I’ve gotten older and your body just can’t take it anymore. Pushing through the pain and doing things the best to your ability when you’re hurt is a very big part of this sport, especially at the college level because everyone is in pain. It’s hard, very hard, but I think everyone goes into it knowing it’s going to be hard. So, in that respect, the mindset kind of changes and you say ‘this is what I have to do’ to push through the pain. Obviously, not to the point where you’re pushing yourself through stress fractures, but the little things like nagging injuries and soreness.

So, coming into the season knowing you are going to miss the majority of it, what kind of approach, or what have you tried to do in the gym to still be a big part of the team and an influence on your teammates?

JB: I was excited and looking forward to this season for a while. [The seniors] had been talking about this year since we were freshmen, so it has been kind of tough being out. But, going into the gym every day now and watching, you notice a lot of things you never noticed when you were actually practicing. So now, I’m very careful about how I correct people and make sure that I’m giving positive feedback, along with criticism. I’ve also noticed a lot of other things, outside of gymnastics, for instance I can tell you now when someone walks in the gym, what kind of mood they’re in. I can tell if it’s going to be a good day, or if it isn’t going to be a good day. So, I try to be there for them mentally and keep them motivated, pick them up and try to comfort them when they’re upset. That’s what I’ve tried to do as a senior. The senior have all tried to be role models and leaders, especially for the freshmen. And, it’s tough because some of the freshmen are hurt, so I try to show them that their job on the sideline is just as important as everyone else on the team.

Talk about the season so far and where the team is compared to the expectations coming in.

JB: I’ll be honest. It hasn’t been what we expected it to be. We expected better things with [first-year assistant coach] TeShawne [Jackson] coming here. She’s been a huge asset to this season. She’s always’ thinking about new things to do in the gym, like new drills. She’s been great. But, I think what happened, since we weren’t used to being pushed so much in the gym, when we got into our first few meets the pressure of hitting was so much that it just got to some of the girls. But now, I think we’re kind of out of that funk. We just had a meeting with the team the other day, and I told them it doesn’t matter what we did up until that point. We can go into the ECAC’s as the lowest seed and still win the championship. I think the team understands that more now. It doesn’t matter how we started, we can pick it up now and build on the last two meets. We’re really looking to make a big push at the end of the season and win ECAC’s, because we can. We are a very good team, and it’s a shame we haven’t been able to show how good we are, and how motivated this team is and how hard we work. It took a while, but everything is coming together now.

Talk about the contributions the team has gotten from the younger gymnasts this season.

JB: The younger girls on this team are amazing. Stevie [Waldman] is a rock solid performer. When we lost her at the beginning of the season, we all said ‘this is going to be tough’. Those are big shoes to fill, but Monica [Goldblatt] really stepped up. She was a great person to fall back on, and I think since she knew we were all counting on her, and the fact that she was pushed and put into that spot, she’s become more confident in herself as an athlete and more confident in the team. And, it’s made her such a better athlete. The entire freshman class is amazing. I cannot wait to be come back and watch this class when they’re juniors, because they are so talented. This will be an awesome class when they’re all healthy. They are just so talented. I can’t wait to see them all perform.

This senior class is obviously very close. Talk about this group outside of the gym.

JB: The seniors are my friends for life now, so it’s going to be weird next year not having everyone around. We do girl things: shop, talk about boys, go to beach, go tanning. We’re always talking, not matter what time of day it is. When I’m not with them, I’m on the phone with one of them, almost every second of the day. When I came here, I came from a very close-knit club team at home, and I thought no one would be able to replace my team from home. I never thought I would find this, my class. Especially since we are all so different. Personality wise, we’re totally different. Kristen [Gaidish] and I have the closest personalities. When you put the two of us together, we always have fun. We could have a good time in a cardboard box if you put us in one. But, as a class, our personalities are so different, it’s amazing the way we all perfectly fit together. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of seniors.

Speaking of Kristen and Kate, you all like to travel together. Are there any good stories you can share about your travels?

JB: We went to the Bahamas the summer before junior year, which was an amazing trip. It was so much, but I almost didn’t get on the plane because I forgot my passport and birth certificate. They ended up getting on the plane, and I stayed, crying in the airport. My parents drove all the way [from New York] to BWI with my pass port and birth certificate. [Kristen and Kate] said they weren’t going to leave me at the airport alone, but I kept telling to just go on without me. They were so nervous because they didn’t know what to do. I almost didn’t make it on that trip. I just sat there in the airport forever crying by myself. I didn’t want Kristen and Kate to miss the original flight, because then they would have been flying standby with me, so the odds of getting three of us on the next flight probably weren’t as good as just me getting on. It ended up being a pretty funny story. We always have a good time. We’re going to Puerto Rico in May for a graduation trip. I can’t wait for that.

You will graduate with a degree in Kinesiology. Any plans for after graduation?

JB: I actually wanted to study fashion after my sophomore year, but W&M doesn’t have anything in that area. I’m actually kind of glad how it worked out. I’m planning on applying to some graduate schools for a Master’s of Education. I think I’d like to be a gym teacher. My mom is gym teacher, and she has a great job. She gets to work with kids all the time, she gets a summer break and good benefits and she just loves teaching. It’s something that I would really love to do because I coach kids in the summer.

One day, I would also like to start a competitive NCAA team at Hofstra University. Long Island and New York City have no gymnastics school, only schools up-state have gymnastics. It’s a shame because there is a lot of wasted talent in that area because a lot of girls don’t want to go away for college. One of my best friends from my club team at home and I want to do it. It would probably take a lot of effort, but maybe one day down the road.

Well, you did leave that area, so what was it that brought you down here and away from New York?

JB: Most of my friends stayed at home after high school, and the ones that did leave ended up going back home anyway because they were homesick. But, all of my girls from club gymnastics did go away, and I wanted to keep doing gymnastics. I couldn’t do it at home obviously, so one of the schools I looked at was Rutgers. But, when I got there, I hated the way the team chemistry was and how things worked there. Then, I came here and the team was so close, and that’s what made me want to come to school here. The school is beautiful, but it was the team, hands down, that made me want to come. On our team, everyone is best friends with each other. That’s what made me come and stick it out here. Sometimes, I’ll say Williamsburg is boring, compared to New York, and I miss home at times. I am going to go back home after school, but I wouldn’t trade the experience I got here for anything.

Senior Profile: Brittany Gibbs

When Brittany Gibbs graduates from the College, she will leave as one of the program’s most decorated gymnasts. The West Chester, Pa. product is a former conference champion on vault and was a NCAA Regional alternate in the same year, 2004. In addition, Gibbs currently holds two W&M event records, as she owns the school’s top scores on vault (9.900) and beam (9.925). In fact, Gibbs has recorded the top three all-time scores on vault and has another three scores in the top-10 to her credit, not to mention six of the top-10 scores ever registered on bars in school history.
All this from an athlete who, at heart, is lazy. Gibbs insists that after the season is over she will be taking a 10-year sabbatical from physical activity, only to return one day to play tennis with classmate Kristen Gaidish.
“I’m kind of lazy outside of the gym,” admits Gibbs. “I really don’t like physical activity. I will never run, or be in a gym working out [after the season].”
Thankfully for W&M, Gibbs has spent countless hours in the gym during her four-year career, which has produced one of the program’s most successful student-athletes.
Gibbs, along with Kate Magee, sat down for a few minutes earlier this week and talked about the season, her career and life after gymnastics.

You, like everyone else, have had to deal with injuries. How are you holding up now towards the end of the season?

BG: I’m having shoulder problems right now, which is keeping me out of the bars line-up. It’s kind of upsetting, because I don’t know if I’ll be able to get back in the line-up.

How tough is it, mentally, as a college gymnast, knowing that your body is barely able to keep up, physically, with the stress and activities you go through in this sport, when you know injuries are, basically, going to happen and it’s just part of the routine at this stage in your career?

BG: It’s hard, but I think what separates those that do push through at this point is the mental toughness. When you go into a meet, you may have a couple serious injuries, but right before you get ready to go you have to block all that out and concentrate on what you need to do. The adrenaline and excitement will get you through, you just have to block out the pain.

That’s one way to look at it, but from the other side, is it difficult knowing that your career is indeed almost over?

BG: There’s two different parts when I think about the ending, physical and mental. Physically, my body is ready to be done with gymnastics, bottom line. But emotionally, I’ve been doing gymnastics for 18 years. I don’t know what’s it’s going to be like not doing gymnastics. Basically, it’s been your identity growing up as a gymnast, so I’m kind of nervous about it too. I don’t want it to end. I love competing.

Keep going on that, what do you plan on doing after the season?

BG: I’m taking off a decade of physical activity, you can write it down now. People swear I won’t, but I am dead serious. But after the decade, I’m thinking about karate, or maybe salsa dancing. Kristen [Gaidish] and I also said we will play tennis together when we’re older.

Talk a little bit more about life outside the gym.

BG: I pretty much try to avoid work. I’ve been trying to have as much fun as possible in my last semester, the last time we’ll all be together. We just enjoy each other outside of the gym so much. We all go to lunch together, dinner together, we go out together. The team is basically my social network.

Well, as a second semester senior, do you have any plans yet for life after graduation?

BG: Hopefully, I will be campaigning on a congressional campaign. I’ve applied to almost 20 different campaigns between Maryland and New York. I hope to get a job through that. I might run for office someday too.

Getting back to gymnastics, talk about the season up to this point.

BG: It’s frustrating that it took so long for things to get going, but we are very optimistic about the next few weeks coming up. I know the senior class wants it so bad to go out on a high note, and I feel the rest of the team has gotten to that point now too. We all want to have a great ending to the season. We have been working so hard this year in the gym, and we’re finally beginning to show it in the meets.

The team, as usual, has faced some very tough competition this season. Talk about the impact of the schedule.

BG: We’ve always gone against a tough schedule. We typically don’t face that many conference opponents until ECAC’s. So, we’ve been facing these top teams all four years, like North Carolina and N.C. State, and now we’ve faced some different teams like West Virginia, New Hampshire and Bowling Green. As seniors, I think it helps us compete at a higher level and expect more out of the team. But for the freshmen, I think it’s harder to go against the big names. It effects there confidence a little bit more going against these big names early. But, in the long run, I think it really helps everyone because we can compete against these teams at their level.

I think it’s also especially important for people, on the outside, to know it’s not about winning and losing. It’s all about the scores. People outside of gymnastics look at the record, and see just a losing record. But all that really matters is our scores and what we do at the conference championship.

How big have the contributions from the younger gymnasts been this season?

BG: It’s so important when they do step up and hit. Theirs is so much talent and potential in the sophomore and freshman classes. But, there have been some injuries there too, which is tough for them and tough for the team. And again, the high level of competition is tough on them, but I think they are really building their confidence right now. I think they are beginning to understand they can go out and hit every night and be consistent. The sophomore class [Tricia Long and Stevie Waldman] has always been rock solid. We are so happy to have Stevie back, even though she is still injured, she is doing very well. I hope the freshmen continue to gain confidence because they can score, and they can go out and place against these competitive fields every night.

Senior Profile: Kate Magee

Kate Magee is a self-described “different” gymnast from the rest of her teammates. The McLean, Va. native admits she has come a long way since first joining the program as a freshman.
“Not only was my skill level mediocre, or even sub-par, but my confidence was bad, and I wasn’t a good competitor. It has taken a long time for me to get here with a lot of help from different people that got me believing in myself,” says Magee.
Now, Magee is one of the Tribe’s three captains and has turned in several of the squad’s top scores this season. She was named the ECAC Coaches Choice award winner the first week of the season after recording a 9.650 on beam at the GW Invitational, and the senior also scored a career-high 9.675 on floor at West Virginia two weeks ago. But, individual accomplishments aside, Magee is only concerned with how the team finishes in her last season, hoping the next three meets at home spur W&M on to a great ending.
“The potential is there. This is the most talented team I’ve been a part of in my four years here,” Magee proclaims. “The skill-level, and where these gymnasts have come from has led to great potential. The second we capitalize on that, the success of this team will be ridiculous. It needs to happen, and it is going to happen.”
Magee sat down earlier this week and talked more about finishing the season strong, her career and teammates.

You, like everyone else, have had to deal with injuries. How are you holding up now towards the end of the season?

KM: Well, when you have been doing gymnastics for over 15 years, it’s kind of hard not to be banged up. I’ve gotten better though, my ankle has pretty much healed, so now it’s just my back.

How tough is it, mentally, as a college gymnast, knowing that your body is barely able to keep up, physically, with the stress and activities you go through in this sport, when you know injuries are, basically, going to happen and it’s just part of the routine at this stage in your career?

KM: For me, what gets me through is knowing that it’s all going to be over soon. Regardless of how much my ankle hurts, or how much my back hurts, in less than a month and a half it’s all going to be over. I’ll have the rest of my life to heal. Hopefully, anyway. I’m just trying to make the most of my last season, and if it hurts a little bit, so be it.

That’s one way to look at it, but from the other side, is it difficult knowing that your career is indeed almost over?

KM: It has been really hard for me. Everybody jokes about me being the one who tries to keep going after college. It’s hard, but hopefully we’ll finish on a huge highlight and have a great ending to the year. I’m definitely going to need to find something else to be passionate about though, maybe not to the fanatical extent that gymnastics requires, but something that I will be able to put my physicality into.

Keep going on that, what do you plan on doing after the season?

KM: I like to run a lot in the off-season, actually I run a lot in season until I’m told to stop, so I’ll try to get back into that. I think triathletes are impressive, I like pushing myself like that. I definitely will stay physically active.

Talk a little bit more about life outside the gym.

KM: The other three seniors [Brittany Gibbs, Kristen Gaidish and Jess Baker] are my best friends. I’m with them all the time. But throughout college, I think I’ve done a pretty good job of balancing time with the team, which includes my best friends, and then other people and other outlets. Which is good, because sometimes the gym just gets too intense and you need a good break, so I’ve been very fortunate to have another great group of friends. But, as a second semester senior, it’s all about getting done what you need to get done, taking care of business and enjoying it as much as possible.

Well, as a second semester senior, do you have any plans yet for life after graduation?

KM: I would love to eventually run a floral shop, but I don’t know anything about botany or about flowers, other than what looks good together. I was leaning towards going to law school, but I’ve kind of put that on hold for a while because I’m not sure if I’m really passionate enough about it yet. So, in the meantime, I’m going to need to find something. Journalism is a possibility. I do like to write and I am an English major, so anything literary is always fun for me.

Getting back to gymnastics, talk about the season up to this point.

KM: I think the fact it has been up and down is frustrating, but we all see the big goal. We are all working so much harder than we ever have. The ball is just starting to roll, and with these three home meets coming up every one is excited to get things going. We’re very optimistic that the remainder of the season will be very successful. I just want this season to be the best one I’ve ever had, whether its going out as ECAC Champions or not, I want to remember this as our best.

The team, as usual, has faced some very tough competition this season. Talk about the impact of the schedule.

KM: I think it’s good exposure for our program. These teams see us competing, and even though we haven’t had great results in the last couple years, there are still some highlight performances by William and Mary gymnasts and they are standing up there on the podium, placing with some of these girls that used to be international elites. It’s all about the confidence, knowing we are just as good as some of these teams. I think the more we are able to compete with these teams and get more exposure and experience against them, the better.

Senior Profile: Kristen Gaidish

Kristen Gaidish comes from a gymnastics family. With two older sisters who competed at the collegiate level, one at Cal-Berkley, the other at West Virginia, Gaidish’s parents, Leonard and Patricia, have seen their share of gymnastics meets, events and practices over the years.

“My parents have been an inspiration to me and such a big help over the years,” said Gaidish. “They are one of the major reasons why I am here today.”

During her time here at the College, Gaidish has been one of the program’s most consistent performers and an important leader, both in and out of the gym, for head coach Mary Lewis, who cited Gaidish as one of the team’s top motivators. Gaidish was selected as a team tri-captain for the 2006 season, and she has put together a solid start to her final year for the Tribe.

Before the first of four final home meets in her collegiate career, Gaidish took time to reflect on her career, life outside the gym, life after college and her teammates.

You had two older sisters in college gymnastics. Who is, or was, the best gymnast?
KG: Of course, me. No, they were both very good. None of us have done bars, so that’s one thing we have in common. I’d say we were all pretty good on beam and floor.

How did you end up at William and Mary?
KG: Well, my club teammate [and former W&M standout] Jess Dancu was here when I came on my recruiting trip, and she put in a good word for me with Mary Lewis. Plus, I had a good time on my visit and really enjoyed it.

One of your personal goals for the season is to stay healthy. How have you held up so far?
KG: Pretty good I’d say. It has definitely been a better start than last year. You’re never going to feel great when you’re a 22-year old gymnast, but it’s the best I think I could have hoped for to this point.

The team has once again had some issues with injuries. Has it been frustrating, especially after last season?
KG: I think one thing that has been better this season is we have more people that are prepared to step in. Where as last season, we were relying on people who hadn’t done certain routines at all. This year, our back-ups are solid competitors, so I don’t think it has affected us as much this year because we have more depth, and we’re in a better mindset.

How much does it mean to you to serve as a team captain?
KG: It mean a lot. At first, I admit I was surprised because my first couple years I didn’t really see myself in a leadership role. But now, I think I’ve really grown into it, and I really like the motivator role. I have a good time with it. I try to stress the love for each other, the excitement in what we’re doing and having fun in the gym every day.

Talk about the season so far and the team goals.
KG: I think the first meet [GW Invitational] went really well. We brought a great level of intensity, and we were excited and happy to place third. That was one of the best finishes we’ve had there in a couple years. Last week [at UNC], we had to deal with a few more injuries and adjust, so our scoring was a little off. I think we’re still on track though to be in the top of the ECAC, and that is our goal.

Talk about your career up to this point and any particular highlights or memorable moments.
KG: Winning ECAC’s freshman year is definitely the highlight. But, every day I enjoy being with the team in and out of the gym. It’s so much fun working with them and just being part of the team.

What is life like outside of the gym?
KG: Well, I go to class, and then I come to the gym and practice. Then, I hang out with everyone on the team. We hang out a lot because we are all best friends.

You are a writer for the student paper, The Flat Hat. Is writing something you are interested in as a career?
KG: Yeah, I’m thinking about going into journalism after college. I don’t have that much experience, so I need to get out there and gain some experience. I’ve been thinking about graduate school in journalism.

What are some of your favorite things to write about?
KG: Definitely sports. I love sports. Hopefully, I will be able to go back to Philadelphia and write about Philadelphia sports because I love Philly sports.

What will you miss the most about William and Mary?
KG: Just being part of the team and being an athlete in general. This is obviously my last year, so I don’t really know what I’m going to do since athletics has been such a big part of my life. Hopefully, I’ll stay active in something.

You enjoy traveling with teammates Jess Baker and Kate Magee. What are some of the places you visited?
We went to the Bahamas our sophomore year, and this year I went to Sarasota, Florida with Kate. We are looking for something good for our senior trip, maybe Puerto Rico. Definitely somewhere with a beach and warm weather.