Teft Earns 2 Medals In Finals
By Gretchen Flemming
The Grand Rapids Press
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The door was open, so Katie Teft swung through to claim a pair of medals at the Coca-Cola National Gymnastics Championships. When the top four all-around finishers - national champ Shannon Miller, Jaycie Phelps, Dominique Moceanu and AMnda Borden - chose to sit out the event finals, Teft gladly stepped in to take home some hardware. The 14-year-old Grand Rapids gymnast took the silver medal on uneven bars and became the national bronze medalist on balance beam. The sol-out crowd didn't get to see all the champions, some of whom were coming off injuries and didn't want to take any risks with the U.S. Olympic Trials coming up in three weeks. But the 9,000-plus crowd did get to see former Olympian and national champion Dominique Dawes sweep the gold in all four event finals. For Teft, it was the perfect finish to a weekend that saw her make the U.S. National Team and earn a trip to the Olympic Trials June 26-30 in Boston. Her 10th place all-around finish was the highlight, for sure, but the individual event medals were special. "This felt really good," said Teft before heading to an autograph session involving the national team. "It helps my confidence." Teft had her sights set on medals even before the competitive field was downsized. She had the third-highest score on bars in the all-around optionals, plus she had qualified sixth on beam. After the roster scratches eliminated seven of the 16 national team members, Teft was able to compete in floor exercise as well. "I think bars she had a legitimate medal even if the other kids were here," said Teft's coach, John Geddert of Lansing. "It would have been hard to beat that routine." The only one who did was Dawes. A 19-year-old who finished sixth all-around Friday , Dawes edged Teft out for gold with a 9.921, to Teft's 9.825. Teft scored 9.637 on beam to earn the bronze, behind Dawes' 9.862 and Mohini Bhardwaj with a 9.65. Boosting Teft's score was a difficult backhandspring mount followed by three backhandsprings on the beam which drew a huge ovation from the crowd. The mount had been left out of her optional routine on Friday to secure her spot in the top 14 all-around who qualified for the Olympic Trials. "I was really pleased with her performance on the beam," said Kathryn Geddert, John's wife who coaches Teft in that event. "she came through in a pressure situation in the finals and kept her focus." Teft scored a 9.662, tied for fifth, on the floor. She had the option to compete in vault after the scratches, but Geddert held her out. "It's a high risk event for injuries," Geddert said, "and it's not her best event anyways." With just 2 1/2 weeks left before she leaves for Boston, Teft has work to do, according to her coach. She will be shooting to be one of the top seven that will comprise the U.S. Olympic team. "We'll have to have teh perfect meet in Boston," Geddert said. "we're going to be in the hunt."
