Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Gymnastics Champ: Erin Campbell, 13, a seventh-grader at Willow Glen Middle School, has won five gold medals at a Nor Cal Level 8 championship. Campbell started in gymnastics at the age of six and practices 20 hours a week.
WG gymnast wins NorCal state, regional competitions
By George Moore
Erin Campbell has flipped, soared, jumped and balanced her way to becoming both a state and regional champion with her Northern California Women's Gymnastics Association (NorCal) Level 8 team.
Campbell, 13, a Willow Glen resident and seventh-grade honors student at Willow Glen Middle School, captured five gold medals March 24 at a state competition at Dominican College in San Rafael.
Campbell also took first place in the vault and all-around score in a regional competition April 20 at the Mesa Centennial Center in Mesa, Ariz., for the top competitors from Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Northern and Southern California-345 girls in all, 60 to 70 in Campbell's age group and level. The four events were the balance beam, uneven bars, vault and floor exercise.
Campbell has trained for the past seven months at Airborne Gymnastics in Santa Clara--previously training at the West Valley Gym. Jennifer Pollio, her beam and floor trainer at Airborne, said Campbell excelled at the vault from day one, but needed some work on the balance beam.
"She went from being a kid who never stayed on to staying on all season and scoring very well," said Pollio. "Erin went from being probably one of our weakest beam kids to one of our strongest, and is constantly improving."
Campbell has been involved with gymnastics since she was six years old, but said she still gets pre-competition jitters.
"I don't like to think about the event beforehand because I get nervous," said Campbell. "I just want to get out there and do it."
Her father, Ed Campbell, said he has seen his daughter improve in the beam competition. He added that her new confidence on the beam has set her up to do well in the competitions overall.
Campbell said she trains year-round five days a week for three to four hours a day at Airborne in the early evening hours. She does her homework after school and is exempt from physical education class, so she can arrive at school after first period. Her father said that all of her teammates do exceptionally well in school and feels it is because they have to be so disciplined and organized in their lives.
Campbell's uneven bars and vault coach, Tonya Walston, said Campbell is a great competitor and very focused.
"She's very dedicated and a very hard worker," said Walston. "That's why she had such a successful season."
Walston said Campbell will be competing at level 9 next year, but has to learn quite a few new skills over the summer.
"I have no doubt that she will be able to do that," said Walston.
Airborne offers programs with different levels--five through 10, depending on individual ability, according to Walston. There is also an elite level, which is a step away from training in Colorado for the Olympics.
Spending so much time with her gymnastics training and traveling to competitions, Campbell said, her teammates almost seem like sisters. Campbell, like many of the gymnasts, hopes to receive a college scholarship, preferably to UCLA.
Campbell's successful season has also included all-around titles at the Far West Classic, held at Stanford University; the Wine Country Classic, at Rhonert Park; and the California Classic, at San Diego.
For more information about Airborne Gymnastics, located at 2250 Martin Ave., visit www.airborne-gymnastics.com, or call 408.986.8226.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
