Simone Biles Soars to 6Th US Gymnastics Title
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Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/August 16, 2019 COLLECTED PRÉCIS www.theaustinvillager.com LBJ Football Simone Biles Soars to Team Revving Up For Big Season 6th US Gymnastics Title By John Harris Jr. VILLAGER Sports Columnist By WILL GRAVES | AP Sports Writer [KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)] — The choice was entirely hers. Only there really wasn’t of one for Simone Biles to make. Sure, she could have taken her triple-twisting double-flip (aka “the triple-double”) out of her floor exercise routine during the final night of the U.S. women’s gymnastics championships on Sunday. She surely didn’t need it to assure herself of another national title. Still, even as her coach Laurent Landi left the option up to her after the Olympic champion’s bid to become the first woman to complete the triple- double in competition came up a bit short on Fri- day, he knew the answer. Spend enough time in the gym around the 22- year-old who is redefining what’s possible in her sport one exhilarating routine at a time and it quickly becomes evident that sidestepping a chal- lenge isn’t really her thing. So she threw it at the end of her first tumbling pass, fueled by adrenaline, ambition and Simone Biles practices on the uneven bars for the otherworldly skill. When the dizzying combination senior women’s competition at the 2019 U.S. ended with her feet firmly on the floor — if barely Gymnastics Championships Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in bounds — the jolt through the packed arena was in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) palpable. The smile on her face unmistakable. And LBJ Coach Jahmal Fenner posted an the competition — just like it has been for six years gymnast — and a year away from a return to the 8-3 record in his first full season and counting whenever Biles is involved — was over. Olympics. She was a sensation in 2016, cementing The triple-double served as the exclamation her status as one of the best ever with two weeks (VILLAGER) - In Dis- for Manor as a fresh- point on her sixth national championship. Her two- of gymnastics that came as close to perfection as trict 12-5A, the LBJ foot- man, was District 12-5A day total of 118.500 was nearly five points clear of the sport allows. ball team returns 13 offensive newcomer of 16-year-old Sunisa Lee in second and more almost A year to go before a return trip to the games, starters, including eight the year. Fellow junior seven points ahead of third-place finisher Grace Biles is even better. And really, it’s not close. on offense from last teammate Andrew McCallum. “She’s a freaking beast,” said MyKayla Skinner, year’s 8-3 squad team Mukuba, who also plays Yet Biles doesn’t pay too much attention to the an alternate on the 2016 Olympic team who that was a bi-district fi- defensive back and wide margin or her scores for that matter. She’s been a clinched a spot on the national team by finishing nalist and saw its season receiver and also runs a end with a heartbreak- 4.4 40, is considering ing 10-7 overtime play- SEC schools such as Ar- off loss to Cedar Park. kansas. So much returning The Jaguars are experienced talent loaded in a defensive means that coach backfield which also in- Jahmal Fenner’s Jaguars cludes Sean Fresch, who have a legitimate chance recorded four intercep- to win a district that also tions and 60 tackles last includes dangerous year. Fresch, who runs a Dripping Springs. 4.4 40, also played of- In his first fulltime fense, amassing 400 re- season as LBJ’s coach ceiving yards, nearly 200 last year after replacing rushing yards and five his mentor, Andrew touchdowns. Jackson, who passed Gabriel Smith an- away in December 2018, chors the defensive line. Fehner implemented his Smith is fast for his size. system, and his players He’s 6-1, 220 pounds Simone Biles competes on the beam during the senior women’s competition at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics responded. Now, it’s and runs a 4.6 40. He re- Championships Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) time for the Jaguars to corded 70 tackles and 10 take the next step. sacks in 2018. fixture atop the podium for six years and counting. eighth. “Like, I don’t even understand. I always ask Can they do it? Yes Hunter Scott is the Attempting to find the boundaries of her immense her, ‘Do you realize how good you are?’ And she’s they can. new starting quarter- talent is what drives her. like ‘Yeah, but I don’t know.’ It just comes so natu- Start with LBJ’s back. He passed for 568 It’s why she got so angry after putting both rally, it’s amazing.” speed, which is impres- yards and six touch- hands down as she tried to land the triple-double In a sport that sometimes forces athletes to sive with several players downs as a backup last on Friday. It’s why she never thought about ditch- choose between skill and execution, Biles doesn’t running sub-4.5 40s. year. Not as much of a ing it on Sunday. And it’s why she sneaked a peek at have to. She not only puts together the most diffi- LBJ features legiti- threat to run as previous her phone while rotating from floor to balance cult routines in the world, she does them better mate Division I college LBJ quarterbacks, Scott beam, typically a no-no during a meet. Well, at least than anyone else. Biles won floor, balance beam and talent in Latrell will boost the passing for anyone not named Simone Biles. vault and finished third on bars even with her “meh” McCutchin, who plays game. “I wanted to see how it looked,” she said. set on Friday. defensive back and wide One of Scott’s pri- Here’s a word: historic. “She does stuff that I never thought people receiver, runs a 4.4 in the mary targets will be “It’s like she hit a hole in one and we were all could do,” Lee said. 40, and has already com- Jaleel Scott, another there,” USA Gymnastics high performance director Lee and 2017 world champion Morgan Hurd mitted to perennial na- burner with 4.3 speed in Tom Forster said. “It’s a big deal and we all know it. were the only women in the field to place ahead of tional power Alabama the 40. No one in the world has done it before in the women Biles on any event, finishing one-two on bars, so- over the hometown LBJ opens the sea- and actually, she does it better than most of the lidifying their chances of joining Biles at world cham- Texas Longhorns. son Aug. 30 against men who have done it. She should be super excited pionships in Germany in October in the process. McCutchin, who played Elgin. about that.” Hurd rebounded from a rocky floor exercise She was. When Biles finished off a two-hour on Friday that dropped her to eighth overall to zoom showcase that highlighted how wide the gulf be- up to fourth despite admitting she “wanted to throw tween herself and the rest of the world has become up a little” when the night began. She promised she Listen by drilling her dismount on uneven bars: she would be better on Sunday and she was, despite a danced. technical glitch before her floor when the music Well, sort of. Biles gave Landi a relieved high- started before she took her starting position. She Live five before sticking out her tongue and waving her walked off the podium, exhaled and then went out arms as she ran to hug the rest of competitors in and drilled her set. her rotation. “I think more than anything, tonight just re- ))) The anger of Friday night — when she openly ally helped my confidence,” Hurd said. seethed after shorting the triple-double and mak- Something every gymnast will struggle with ing a bit of a mess on bars — was gone. sometime. Biles included. Yes, really. It speaks to her The Breakfast “I was a lot happier today,” Biles said. “I feel I inner perfectionist that even after finishing the triple- haven’t been as confident on bars this year as I was double, she still knows it wasn’t quite her best. last year. To finally do a good routine like I can do it, “It wasn’t as good as in some of the trainings,” Club I was really happy. I was very happy and the last she said. “But I’m just happy that I landed it because event, so I was like, ‘Thank God we’re done.’” after night one, my confidence got shot down. So I Every Friday | 8 AM - 9 AM For now anyway. Biles is two months away was really worried about it going into today and that from a trip to the world championships — where was all I could worry about.” www.KAZIFM.org her 20 medals are tied for the most by a female Not anymore..