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Diving into state
Published Thursday, April 24, 2008 2:13 AM

By DAVID CAMPBELL
Eagle Staff Writer

When the Bryan gymnastics team formed an impromptu diving squad, they had no idea it might be a springboard to success.

First-year Vikings swimming coach Mike Ortiz drafted veteran gymnastics coach J.T. Fletcher to form a team to compete in diving at the District 13-5A swim meet. Gymnast Matthew Kelly won the 13-5A championship and reached the finals at regional.

Now he's taking a leap in his own sport.

Kelly is one of five all-arounders that has the Vikings favored to win the 42nd Annual Texas High School Gymnastics Championships, which begin Thursday in Garland. Using a complete team of all-arounders in a bid to win the team title is unusual and it's a first for Bryan's 22-year head coach.

"All of our top all-arounders are ready to go, and we have a sixth-man backup in every event," said Fletcher, whose team had the best regional score in the state at 345.85. "I don't know if I'm a little more confident or if there is a little more pressure. They know they are good, and I tell them that they are good. You just have to be able to execute on that day and time."

Four of the top diving competitors are in the mix for Bryan at the state gymnastics meet -- Kelly, Isaac Rodriguez, Enoch Rodriguez and Stefan Quartemont -- joined by Alex Reyes.

Boys compulsories begin at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Garland Special Event Center. Optionals being at 4:30 p.m. Friday with event finals set to start at 11 a.m. Saturday. The team and all-around championships will be determined Friday.

Bryan's backups likely won't compete, remaining in the background in case of an injury. But Fletcher says the Viking backups are the backbone of a strong team. Chris Braaten has been a key contributor who fills that sixth-man role this week. He also competed in diving.

"The sixth guys really contribute," Fletcher said. "They don't get the recognition, but they push the fifth man and push the fourth man. That's what makes a good team, numbers in the gym and that sixth man."

Diving proved a boon to developing all of the gymnast's skills. Landing in water is softer than even hitting a mat in the gym, and it gives gymnasts a chance to try more moves with more confidence.

Usually.

"It depends on where you land, because you can land on your back," Fletcher said. "It was something different, a new challenge. We wanted to have fun and have a good time. Sometimes gymnastics gets way too serious."

Kelly has used the experience to have a strong spring in the gym. Isaac Rodriguez won the district championship, becoming a three-time district winner.

"Matt and Isaac are a couple of hot dogs," said Fletcher, who points to their leadership -- and their fearlessness -- as keys to Bryan's success. "They are seniors, leaders and two good all-arounders, and each one has a chance to win the all-around at state."

In recent years, gymnastics has added one all-arounder rule, forcing teams to have at least one competitor take part in all events. Bryan has taken it to its extreme this year, attempting to become the first team since 1979 to win the championship with a team off all-arounders.

"There were times when we struggled to put up two all-arounders," Fletcher said.

Now Bryan has five with a strong backup waiting to pitch in if necessary. And Bryan's intrasquad competition, both in the pool and in the gym, has helped the Vikings put together their run to the state meet.

"Hopefully, it will carry over with the way we compete at state," Fletcher said. "We did a really good job at regional and can do the same thing at state."

• David Campbell's e-mail address is david.campbell@theeagle.com.



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Madisonville High School

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Cameron High School

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Sept. 16 Navasota Home 7:30 pm
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Hearne High School

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Centerville High School

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Aug. 26 Grapeland Home 7:30 pm
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Sept. 16 Trinity Home 7:30 pm
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Oct. 7 Buffalo Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Leon Home 7:30 pm
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Oct. 28 Blooming Grove Away 7:30 pm
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Leon High School

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Aug. 26 Elkhart Away 7:30 pm
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Sept. 16 Hillsboro Home 7:30 pm
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Franklin High School

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Aug. 26 Hearne Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 2 Tomball Memorial Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 9 Whitney Home 7:30 pm
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Oct. 7 Rosebud-Lott Away 7:30 pm
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Oct. 28 Thorndale Away 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Bruceville-Eddy Home 7:30 pm

Lexington High School

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Sept. 23 Jarrell Away 7:30 pm
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Oct. 14 Franklin Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Thorndale Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 Bruceville-Eddy Away 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Rogers Home 7:30 pm

Iola High School

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Oct. 7 Moody Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Thrall Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Somerville Home 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Normangee Away 7:30 pm

Normangee High School

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Aug. 26 Trinity Away 7:30 pm
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Sept. 9 Bremond Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 16 Snook Away 7:30 pm
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Oct. 14 Moody Away 7:30 pm
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Somerville High School

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Sept. 2 Burton Home 7:30 pm
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Sept. 16 Vanderbilt Inudstrial Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 23 Granger Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 30 Austin St. Dominic Savio Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 7 Thrall Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Iola Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 Normangee Home 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Moody Away 7:30 pm

Bremond High School

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Aug. 26 Buffalo Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 2 Leon Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 9 Normangee Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 16 Thorndale Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 23 Axtell Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 7 Frost Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Hubbard Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Chilton Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 Wortham Away 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Dawson Home 7:30 pm

Milano High School

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Aug. 26 Waco Texas Christian Away 7:30 pm
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Sept. 15 Giddings State School Away 7:00 pm
Sept. 23 Chilton Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 7 Burton Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Holland Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Bartlett Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 Snook Home 7:30 pm
Nov. 4 Granger Away 7:30 pm

Snook High School

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Aug. 26 John Paul Catholic Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 2 Brazos Christian Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 9 Somerville Away 7:30 pm
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Oct. 7 Holland Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Granger Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Burton Home 7:30 pm
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Calvert High School

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Aug. 27 Strawn Away 10:00 am
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Oct. 21 Star Away 7:30 pm
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St. Joseph High School

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Aug. 26 Iola Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 2 Katy Faith West Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 9 Katy Pope John XIII Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 16 Brazos Christian Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 24 Shiner St. Paul Away 7:00 pm
Oct. 8 Hallettsville Sacred Heart Away 2:00 pm
Oct. 14 Bay Area Christian Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 20 Giddings State School Home 7:00 pm
Oct. 28 Austin Regents Away 7:00 pm
Nov. 4 Texas School for the Deaf Home 7:00 pm

Brazos Christian High School

Date Opponent Location Time
Aug. 26 Cypress Christian Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 2 Snook Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 9 Texas School for the Deaf Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 16 St. Joseph Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 23 The Woodlands Christian Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 30 Katy Faith West Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 8 Shiner St. Paul Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Austin St. Dominic Savio Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 San Antonio St. Gerard Home 7:00 pm
Nov. 4 Hallettsville Sacred Heart Home 7:30 pm

Allen Academy

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Aug. 27 Waco Live Oak Away 7:00 pm
Sept. 2 San Marcos Home School Home 7:00 pm
Sept. 9 Harmony Science Home 7:00 pm
Sept. 16 BVCHEA Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 23 Marble Falls Faith Home 8:00 pm
Sept. 30 Temple Holy Trinity Away 7:00 pm
Oct. 7 Tomball Christian Home 7:00 pm
Oct. 14 Bastrop Tribe Consolidated Home 7:00 pm
Oct. 22 Waco Methodist Home Home 5:00 pm
Oct. 29 Bell County ECHO Home 7:30 pm

Brenham Christian High School

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Aug. 25 Waco Parkview Away 7:00 pm
Sept. 2 Tomball Rosehill Home 7:00 pm
Sept. 10 Dallas The Covenant Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 16 Orange Community Home 7:00 pm
Sept. 23 Houston Texas Christian Home 7:00 pm
Oct. 1 Houston Emery-Weiner Home 6:00 pm
Oct. 14 Dickinson Pine Drive Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 21 Throckmorton Away 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 Alvin Living Stones Home 7:00 pm
Nov. 4 Bellville Faith Home 7:30 pm

BVCHEA

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Aug. 25 Bellville Faith Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 2 Austin NYOS Away 7:30 pm
Sept. 9 Temple Centex Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 16 Allen Academy Home 7:30 pm
Sept. 23 San Antonio Sunnybrook Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 1 San Antonio FEAST Away 1:00 pm
Oct. 7 Central Texas ECHO Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 14 Williamson County Away 7:00 pm
Oct. 21 Waco Live Oak Home 7:30 pm
Oct. 28 Waco Methodist Home Away 7:30 pm

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