No hit? Hit? Super hit? Which one would you rather have?
In gymnastics language, everyone strives for the super hit. That way, you’d only be five-tenths away from hitting a perfect routine. And that’s just what men’s gymnastics sophomore Geoff Corrigan did two weeks ago against Illinois-Chicago.
“Last meet Geoff put it all together,” coach Kurt Golder said. “He competed in four events and three of them were super hits, which are the caliber of performances we need to be in contention for Big Ten and NCAA titles.
As the season rolls along, coaches and teammates are looking to Corrigan to get things done. After sitting out last year due to shoulder problems and a knee injury, Corrigan claims that he is back and ready. Coaches agree that his hard work will be imperative to the team’s performance.
“A lot of the success of our team depends on Geoff performing at (a super hit) level. If he can do that the rest of the season, it will help our cause tremendously,” coach Kurt Golder said.
Unfortunately for Corrigan, his performance last weekend at the Winter Cup Challenge did not match that of the previous weeks. Only six members of the team were honored to compete in this event, which could lead to a future spot on the U.S. National Team. Corrigan’s worst event was on the parallel bars, where he added a peters three quarter pirouette and .9 more difficulty. His nervousness and intimidation overcame him.
“When you go to U.S.A. gymnastics meets, it’s not a team environment,” Corrigan said. “It’s real quiet, you don’t have your whole team cheering you on, and the crowd isn’t behind you, so you get a little more nervous.”
But Corrigan is looking toward the upcoming meet against Minnesota this Saturday to prove he’s back on track. All he needs is self-motivation.
“Before an event, I always imagine everybody in the crowd yelling that I can’t do it,” Corrigan said. “It gets me real hyped.”
Corrigan’s teammates sense his determination. They believe it’s important for team members to hit their routines, because if they do, others will as well.
“It’s great to have Geoff on the team,” senior captain Kris Zimmerman said. “When I watch him in the gym I can tell he really wants it bad. He wants to do well for himself and do well for the team.”