Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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Wednesday, May 28, 2003 |
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Blackman ends career at Gym South with strong performance at Junior Olympic Nationals By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
The last time we heard from Sean Blackman, a gymnast on Gym South's Level I team and Fayette County High School senior, he was headed to Las Vegas to compete against Olympians and other top gymnasts. He returned from Vegas with a 10th place finish on the rings, more experience and a desire to do as well as possible at the Junior Olympic Nationals in Savannah. Mission accomplished. Blackman performed the same ring routine in Savannah and placed second. His overall finish was 45th but for Blackman, the rings are his main focus. It was his third time at the Junior Olympic Nationals and his best finish ever. He credits his coaches, Stephan Benedict and Kyle Sheritt, for establishing the goals for the meet and helping him reach them. "They are incredible," said Blackman. "They know gymnastics like no one else. They could coach anywhere in the world." Benedict stated that Blackman's performance in Savannah was "the culmination of nine years of hard work." "Never say never," he continued, "There was a point where Sean almost quit but he turned it around and finished second in the nation on rings. If you have the deisre to get it done, it will." Blackman graduated from Fayette County High last Friday and now has a few weeks of freedom before he leaves for Plebe Summer. Blackman will attend the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall and has six weeks of boot camp before classes start. His brother, Josh, attends the U.S. Naval Academy and is on the school's gymnastics team. They will be reunited on the team this fall. Though his performance in Savannah was his last Junior Olympic meet and also his last competition as a member of the Gym South squad, Blackman looks forward to competing in the Eastern Conference with the Navy's team and still going towards his goal of competing in the world championships on rings.
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