Dec. 10, 2008

Hi SWG Fans,

With finals week fast approaching, there is no doubt that all of us are at this moment drilling down on studying. Just because it's a voluntary practice week doesn't mean we aren't super eager to take a little study break and get into the gym to work on our skills.

Just a few days after coming back from Thanksgiving break, we had an official intrasquad on Wednesday with competition leotards, judges, everything…and we rocked! Not only was the atmosphere enthusiastic and totally SWG, but we hit 27 out of 27 routines! Our vaulters started the day off with big, strong vaults, and this high energy was brought to every other event. It was awesome having Allyse in the bar lineup and it gave everyone a chance to see the nice variety of skills we have on bars. I am always amazed when I watch Purnell's so called "whirly-bird", which is actually a full-twisting Tkachev. Beam was as equally impressive and clearly showed our improvement in consistency. We were all super excited to move to floor because there is something about floor and the music that takes everything to another level. A shout out to Gretch as our MVP of the day. Not only was her full twisting Yurchenko vault sky-high and with a stuck landing, but she ended the intrasquad with an absolutely rock solid, high intensity floor routine that left all of us jumping with excitement! Also, it's awesome to see Allie walking around, spinning, and doing pool workouts. Although I will miss her intense golf-cart driving, it's really great news!

Some girls also watched Stanford play in the NCAA men's water polo tournament. It was so exciting to watch a team play in the national championship game right here at Stanford.

Well, back to studying and getting ready for those finals. The season is just around the corner, and we hope you are all ready for something amazing, because we sure are!

Ciao!

- Peach (a.k.a Nicole)