To a casual viewer, it is still obvious that elite gymnastics requires flexibility, strength, explosiveness, speed, endurance, and hand-eye coordination. What we sometimes forget is the spatial awareness and mental toughness that is also essential to possess in the sport.
Surprising to some sports fans is that most of these qualities are also attributes of steeplechase runners. Every lap of the grueling 3,000-meter race has four hurdles and one water pit. Distance runners always need speed and endurance, but they need to be cognizant of their surroundings and competitors (spatial awareness), need to explode up and out over the hurdles and water pits, and gauge their jumps with hand-eye coordination.
Minnesota Olympians with a gymnastics background are proof of how these skills have been instrumental to their athletic careers: Gary Neist (Albert Lea; wrestling); Sara Hildebrand (nee Reiling) (Roseville; diving); and Amanda Smock (Melrose) and Shani Johnson (Apple Valley) in the triple jump. And recently, the dominant high school pole vaulter in Minnesota, junior Jarod White of Pine Island, soared to 15′-9″ and credited his background in gymnastics.
Yesterday, Minnesota athletes in both sports showed their athleticism and physical and mental strength. Congratulations to Mason Ferlic (Roseville; U of Michigan) on placing 3rd in the steeplechase finals and earning a spot on the US Olympic team! The Mounds Park Academy graduate was a 2010 Class A state cross country champion and three-time state track champion–edging out Mubarik Musa (Worthington) in one memorable duel. In his 2011 senior track season, Mason was a double winner in the 1600- and 3200-meter runs. Interestingly, another Olympic hopeful, Shane Streich (Waseca) placed 8th in each race–as an 8th grader!
Mason placed 5th in the 2016 Olympic Trials and was known as a strong competitor in the event for years. U of M graduates Obsa Ali (Richfield) and Alec Basten (Green Bay, WI) proved their grit in the unexpected and unrelenting heat by placing 8th and 10th in the field of 14 runners.
Three Minnesota gymnasts are on the national stage with aspirations of being on the world stage set in Tokyo. Sunisa Lee (St. Paul) and Grace McCallum (Isanti) have more than the previously mentioned athletic skills in common: they both have 5 siblings! Sunisa’s personal history as a Hmong athlete with a father who is partially paralyzed from a tragic fall while helping a friend trim a tree is a wonderful success story. Grace accepted a University of Utah athletic scholarship and is recovering from hand surgery in January in the nick of time. The third Minnesota gymnast is Shane Wiskus (Spring Park; U of M) a NCAA Champion and second in all-around at nationals is currently in 2nd place–like Sunisa Lee–at the Olympic Trials.
Lots of talent, lots of heart, and lots of guts by all of these athletes.
Minnesota Athletes 