Taylor Harrison Wins National Junior Olympics Gymnastics Title

As published in Newport News, Hampton and York County/Poquoson issues of Daily Press Town Square - June 19, 2014

As 18-year old Taylor Harrison ventured on to the mat at Mississippi’s Jackson Convention Complex last month to compete in her final gymnastic match as a Junior Olympian, she did so with a sense of calmness.

True, the World Class Gym team veteran had come close to winning the national title once in the past, placing third for her age group in 2010. Also true was the fact that she had qualified for the Junior Olympic national meet every year since then without matching her initial bronze medal performance.

But times had changed. Harrison felt content with the fact that she had made a five consecutive year run to the final match, which is no small feat in itself, as only 56 gymnasts from among eight regions of America make the cut.  And though this portion of her career was about to close, she had accomplished one major goal, earning a full athletic scholarship to continue her gymnastics career at Ohio State University.

In reflection, Harrison admits that she took a realistic, yet safe approach to this event.

“Before the competition, I didn’t think I could win.  I really wanted to have fun and place in the top ten.”

The reasoning behind her thought process made sense.

“When I’m relaxed, I do better.”

Tami Harrison, her World Class Gym team coach and mother, saw things somewhat differently.

“Taylor’s a real competitor. She’s a pleaser, and wants to please her teammates.”

As a coach, Harrison spoke from experience, having won numerous All-American honors, as well as competing in the 1984 Olympic Trials as a gymnast at Cal-State Fullerton. She knew that only a few minor mistakes had kept her athlete from winning at the Junior Olympics in the past.

And in the final analysis, the coach’s expertise made for a better prediction as her Buckeye bound athlete dropped a 9.8 on the final vault to capture the all-around Junior Olympic national crown with a 38.475 score.

Surprisingly, Coach Harrison wasn’t immediately aware that Taylor was among the top competitors.

“They had projectors in the corners where the results were posted. But after the first two rotations, I didn’t think to go over and look.”

However, she did go after the third and came to a realization.

“Wow, she can do this.”

As it turned out, Taylor had placed second in both the uneven bars (9.675) and balance beam (9.525), putting her in the lead. A tenth place finish in the floor routine (9.475) knocked the gymnast out of the top spot with one rotation to go, but she remained in contention for the title.

As the mathematicians among the World Class group started calculating scenarios to determine the path to victory, one thing remained clear. Taylor would have to nail her vault in the last rotation.

“I wanted her to go 4 for 4,” said Tami.

With a gold medal on the line, Taylor came through, literally vaulting back into first place with her run, leap and spin off the pommel horse.

After a brief celebration, Taylor’s euphoria almost came to a grinding halt.

I went to check my place, and another girl turned to me and said, “I got it. I won.”

However, the frustration was temporary as both mother and daughter soon realized that the gymnast speaking was from a different age group.

While Taylor remained in the gym to view the nail biting conclusion, Tami, knowing that her coaching duties were complete, went back into mother mode.

 “It was the most nerve wracking 10-15 minutes ever. I couldn’t watch it anymore. I went to the back gym.”

But Taylor gritted it out, sitting through four more rotations of seven gymnasts with their eye on her prize.

At the very end, the second place gymnast needed a 9.575 in the vault to tie Harrison and a 9.6 to win the group. Although “she had a really good routine,” her final score of 9.5 was just short of first place.

Now a national champion, Harrison will enjoy some time off before heading to Columbus in August. She looks forward to competing in the Big Ten conference, where she will see former World Class teammates such as Nebraska’s Ashley Lambert. Harrison, who looks to major in sports broadcasting or communication, has lofty collegiate goals, with the All-American team, and NCAA Championships in her sights.

As she puts it in simple terms, “I can’t wait!”