2002 High School Nationals Las Vegas, Nevada

This year's high school nationals meet, held at UNLV in sunny Las Vegas, represented a time of transition in many respects. Washington State took the women's team title (112.75) for the first time in the fifteen year history of high school nationals, and the Texas men were stopped one year short of a 10 year winning streak by the Virginia men (170.70), who took this year's men's team title.

Justin Spring of Lake Braddock High School in Burke, Virginia took 1st AA (58.05). Justin's Kollman on high bar provoked a stunned silence from the crowd at first, followed by an expletive from one of the coaches standing near the apparatus, and then an ear drum shattering roar from the crowd. Justin's gymnastics performances are already familiar to the gymnastics world, as he won U.S. Nationals in the junior division in 2000. His win is certainly a fine way to mark his transition from high school to college. Justin will continue his gymnastics career at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - the same school last year's high school national champion, Matthew Mickalek, is attending - and plans to study aerospace engineering.

Justin Spring 1 AA Lake Braddock High School Burke, Virginia

As transitions go, Justin Spring's all-around win seemed to mark the beginning of a trend for his coach. Justin is the third student of Coach Carlos Vasquez to win the all-around title at High School Nationals in the last four years. Coach Vasquez reports that his secret is nothing more than team work, hard work, and respect. He described his gym as a boiling pot of gymnastics talent, and a family. Coach Vasquez also indicates that he invests a great deal of effort in developing himself as a coach. He sees his coaching style as one of continuous improvement; he talks to other top coaches, asks them about their approaches and integrates their techniques into his own repertoire. When asked whether he had more athletes waiting in the wings to impress the judges and crowds at high school nationals in future years, he responded with a bright and matter of fact grin, "Oh yeah". Erin Dethloff of Millard South High School in Omaha, Nebraska won the women's all around title (38.175), hot on the heels of her bar victory at Junior Olympic nationals. Her win marked a sadder transition, as her state is cutting gymnastics from its high school program. Despite the current budget pressures, it is unfortunate that a program that has produced such successful gymnasts should be cut; Erin's team-mate Kelley Anderson of Westside High School also in Omaha, Nebraska took two events in finals (floor and vault). This program has certainly gone out with a 'bang'. Erin will continue her gymnastics career at Iowa State; she plans to pursue a career in orthopedics. Her team-mate Kelley Anderson will continue her gymnastics career at University of Missouri, and is interested in Veterinary Science.

Erin Dethloff - 1 AA Millard South High School Omaha, Nebraska

Todd Vessley's presidency of the National High School Gymnastics Coaches Association marks the beginning of a new era. When asked to summarize his plans as president, he responded that he wants to see all the states of the union represented at the meet. This would certainly be a great addition, as several very note-worthy states do not currently send teams. One thing which hasn't changed from previous years is the high level of competition. Including more states in the fold will certainly only add to this excitement.

Todd Vessley (President, NHSGCA) Crowns Erin Dethloff

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	More Photos
	See the article in International Gymnast Magazine (August/September 2002)
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