University Florida senior Leah Clapper joined us for this episode of Alumni Conversation. Leah who is alway smiling which she shows from start to finish during her beam routine gives us the history behind her continuous smile. As we do with all our alums, we take her back to her Region 5 days and discuss how Region 5 has impacted her gymnastics in college. Leah has several good stories about her recruiting journey, how she started Zest and Finnesse and the lead up to her first perfect 10. This season was her first opportunity to compete in the post season and we discuss that experience and what take aways she had that will help her during her senior year.  

Region 5 Gymnastics Insider Podcast

College Salute- Alumni Conversation with the Smiling, Cooking, Perfect 10 Gator Leah Clapper

After a wild and crazy season which ended with a new member of the NCAA National Championship team club, we get a chance to look back on all the ups, downs and toe arounds that went on this season from the perspective of our Region 5 Alums. Our first Alumni Conversation is with a member of that National Championship team, Michigan Sophomore Gabby Wilson. We look back on Region 5 memories, crazy moments from this past NCAA season and of course all about Michigan's first national team championship (for the women). We also through in some of the wall non gymnastics questions to give you a better understanding of who Gabby is beyond the gymnast. 

College Salute Alumni Conversation- NCAA National Champion Gabby Wilson, Michigan

The 2021 NCAA Championships will always be remembered as the team champions club gained its newest member. The University of Michigan became only the 7th program to win the Women's NCAA Championships while posting a program high score. Oklahoma Senior and Region 5 Alum Anastasia Webb won the all around and two event titles putting on stamp on her career. Region 5 Alum Olivia Karas was front in center for all the action at NCAA's in Texas and she is back to break it down with us. Lots of behind the scenes discussion from this historical championships. 

College Salute- NCAA Championships: History Is Made, Wolverines WIn, WEBB WOWS!

The NCAA Regional weekend was exciting from start to finish with nail bitter victories, upsets, outstanding celebrations and of course perfect 10's. We have lots to say about all the great post routine celebrations that occured over the whole weekend. We had two perfect 10's in the regional semi's in Tuscaloosa. SWEET 16 for our OSU Alums while two individuals continue to dance onto the NCAA Champs. We breakdown all four regionals from start to finish. 

College Salute- Regional Championships: Snap, Clap and Roll with IT

In part 2 of our Conference Championships we break down the other conferences and highlight the Alums that won conference titles along with some performances in each conference that stood out including EMU all arounder Haydn Crossen who is making a huge impact for the Eagles this season. The SEC is always the best dressed like Sunday Church in the South and Nia may have used a trampoline on vault. Lots of 9.9's and we hand out our Best 5 for the Conference Championship weekend. 

College Salute: Conference Championships Part 2- Crossen The Finish Line with a Leg Over the Line

TOO much went on during conference championship weekend that we had to split it in two! On this show we discuss our Fabulous 5 as well as a couple not so fabulous around the country. We talk BIG TEN Champs and are joined by Region 5 Alum, Michigan Wolverine Standout and the commentator of the meet Olivia Karas for an awesome discussion on the behind the scenes at Big Tens to the awesome underappreciated gymnastics some of our alums did during the champions. Oh Ya! Not to mention the excitement of the final results. 

College Salute: Conference Championships Part 1- BIG TEN, Competitor to Queen Commentator

The regular season has come to an end with a crazy CMU quad stream that felt like we were playing the game Frogger. We had some new Alums break into the line-up in the final week of the regular season along with some lights out performances for line-up veterans. We definitely had some big jumps, powerful swings, big time stuck landings in Week 10. 

College Salute Week 10: Jump, Swing, Land... Squirrel!

We Step Hop and Salute the action of Week 9 with the appointment of the Toe Point President. There was a Front Pike half vault that brought us back to 1996. A 198+ score from a team we barely saw... Thanks BTN Minus. There were Front Double fulls galore even one into a front layout.  A couple 10's for the Webb and apparently close shots of feet  on the beam are important. 

College Salute Week 9- Stop Hop and Salute the Toe Point President

This episode is certainly a "mixed bag" of gymnastics with college, elite and level 10 all in one. We had the pink and black of the Nastia Cup on display in the shadow box of Winter Cup. The Mania of Meet Themes including a Drag Queen, 2nd go around of the R5 Insider Classic, oh yeah we also had some fantastic college routines this week. The cup was full on this podcast for sure!

College Salute Week 8: A Cup full of Pink, Pride and Power

We salute week 7 of the NCAA with another Region 5 Alum perfect 10 and the perfect smile to go with it. Some awesome performances and close action in the MAC conference this week, BIG TEN Minus was unfortunately back this week. We need a new notebook after this weeks long list of 9.9's. It's getting exciting as the season draws close to the end. 

College Salute Week 7- IT's the PERFECT Smile, Going to Be Legend Here

Region 5 Alums were rocking in week 6 of NCAA action. Some seemed to be giving us the speech of over hear look at me, oh you need a 9.9 hold my mask please! There was a 10 on vault and it was from a Region 5 Alum. We filled the notebook with 9.9's this week and had a few new routines performed for first time this season. We also learned that there was a Piked Yurchenko on bars!!! 

College Salute Week 6: The Inner Monologue- Just Hold My Mask Please!

Not Much in the Heights of the SEC! We have a gym bag full of 9.9's this week. Mounts, Mounts, Mounts some old; some new; one classic! Tri-meet in the Big Ten, Sticky feet, no hand beam routine, Q Factor, and gymnastics lost a true pioneer in the sport. 

College Salute Week 5 | Rachel's is Back, Andi's is New and Dittmar's is Classic

Lots of sticks, Huge Smiles, Salutes and we even had a Balance Bar???? It was week 4 of NCAA action with a rather full list of NINE NINE's from our Alums. We were hoping to see more gymnastics from the BTN+ but grips, salutes and knee back handsprings stole the show. There was some competitive action in the MAC with two duos for you this week. It's for the BIG Salute for Week 4! 

College Salute Week 4: Stick, Smile, Salute at the Balance Bar on BTN MINUS

In this week's episode we welcome back the MAC conference to gymnastics action in the NCAA. As the commentator said at Ball State we were waiting for the starter pistol to go off in the MAC! We had the first viral floor routine of the year… Region 5 Alum! The Mac Conference has more Region 5 Alums than any other conference in the country. Check out all the MACation from week 3.

College Salute Week 3- MACtion, Starter Pistol Has Gone off in the MAC

The Big Ten kicked off the 2021 NCAA season with some crazy shin vaults, bars redos and 10's or was it? We got to see successful debuts from many of our freshman alums not to mention awesome performances from the vets. Though the  gymnastics was fun exciting and fun to watch as usual it  may have been overshadowed by the post routine where's my mask!!!!! Listen in for our recap of all from our Region 5 Alums in Week 2.

College Salute Week 2- What's My Score and Where's My Mask?

Discussing the important issues in gymnastics with respect to USA Gymnastics Region 5. The Region 5 Gymnastics Insider Podcast gives our media team a platform to give opinions on gymnastics coaching and training techniques, preview or recap gymnastics events, in depth interviews with coaches and athletes, and overall having an avenue to talk about the best sport in the world gymnastics and the best region in the country Region 5.

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Region 5 Gymnastics Insider Podcast

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