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Local gymnast nabs national all-around crown

GYMNASTICS

Tribune file photo

Powell Middle School gymnast Jacqueline Jacobs, seen here competing in 2007, recently won the Level 9 all-around title at the IGI Chicago Style Gymnastic Invitational.

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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: February 27, 2010

At 12 years old, Powell Middle School gymnast Jacqueline Jacobs recently achieved a lofty goal when she traveled to Chicago to compete in a national tournament.
At the IGI Chicago Style Gymnastic Invitational, which bills itself as 'The Largest Women's Gymnastic Meet in the World,' Jacobs won the Level 9 all-around title against some of the finest talent in the country.
While winning a national title is important, for her father Mike Jacobs, what his daughter did is sort of mind-blowing.
"I really don't know where her ability comes from, I know it's not from me," Jacobs said. "Doing this is something she really loves to do."

Jacobs 101

Jacobs began her gymnastics career when she was 4 years old when she got a packet from the school for getting straight As.
"She had made the honor roll in school when they sent home a package of coupons and in it was a free lesson at a gymnastics class," said Mr. Jacobs. "She went and fell in love with it and has been doing it ever since."
Jacqueline's normal day starts with classes at Powell Middle School that end at 1:30 p.m. Then she goes to Suncoast Gymnastics Academy where she trains five days a week with Coach Arnold Gwynn and his wife Cindy.
"Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday she trains from 2-7:30 p.m. and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays she trains from 3:30-7:30 p.m.," said Mr. Jacobs.
Besides going to Powell and working at gymnastics, Jacobs also takes classes on-line with the Florida Virtual School and she gets straight As.
"Gymnastics is something she really wants to do and the amount of work she puts into it really amazes me," Mr. Jacobs said.
Arnold Gwynn said that Jacobs' work ethic is what impresses him the most.
"She's an awesome kid, the rate she is learning is probably more than anyone I've had," said Gwynn.
With a career that goes back 22 years, Gwynn believes that Jacobs has the ability to become a college gymnast.
"There are 10 levels in gymnastics and right now she's a level 9, but she will get to a level 10 and past that is the Elite status and there you can earn a chance to make the national team," said Gywnn.
In the IGI meet, held at Festival Hall at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Jacobs won first place in the parallel bars and the balance beam, was tied for fifth in the vault and finished tied for 14th in the floor exercise to win the all-around title.
But while his daughter has shown tons of ability, her father thinks for now, she has a remarkable ability to keep things in prospective.
"Our main focus is for her to be happy and healthy," Mr. Jacobs said. "This week I got a poll that ranks the Top 100 gymnasts from around the country and Jacqueline is eighth. And that's really impressive."
But Jacobs also wants to make sure his daughter does it for the right reasons.
"This is something she really wants to do," he said. "We want to provide her with stability and keep her grounded. It's easy to take the fun out of it and put too much pressure on the kids. I don't want that because she already has enough by her competing in these national meets."
Her coach will be taking Jacobs and a number of other gymnasts from his Suncoast Academy to the State Level 9-10 Meet March 19 at the University of Tampa. From there they can advance to the region meet on April 9 at Clemson, N.C. with the national meet being held this year on April 29 in Charlestown, W.V.
"What I try to do with my students is to make them ready to earn college scholarships and Jacqueline is well on her way to that," Gwynn said.
Gwynn was asked to describe Jacqueline and he had a quick description of her.
"She's quiet and sort of shy but once she gets into a competition, she's aggressive and she does gymnastics for herself and her work ethic is superb," Gwynn said.
But her father said that right now, the future is something they will not worry about.
"Jacqueline is six years away from college and there is no blueprint for this," said Mr. Jacobs. "It's really up to her. I have total confidence in Coach Gwynn and we think my daughter has a learning curve that is still growing. You just can't plan ahead."

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