Ashley Jackson-Horne Gives 100%
The Green Run gymnastics team has what it takes to prove themselves formidable competition for those schools that consistently sit at the top of the standings in the Beach District. According to Coach Megan Faulkner, the squad this year is one that has much more depth than in years past. That is, this team displays a measure of versatility that is sometimes hard to come by on a gymnastics roster. “If one athlete is sick or injured,” Faulkner explains, “almost any of the teammates can fill in. We’ve been very fortunate this year in that there have been minimal injuries, but what they have shown so far gives me confidence in their versatility.”
The Stallions’ flexibility – and their evident command of gymnastics – leaves them well-positioned in their district this season. Specifically, they are very strong on the floor exercise. “The tumbling this year is at a higher level than I’ve seen in the past,” asserts Faulkner. Similarly, Green Run demonstrates broad proficiency on the balance beam. These attributes guarantee the Stallions’ position as a significant challenger to their opponents this season. Their grasp of gymnastics is all the more impressive when one considers that they only have one gymnast this year with club experience. Most of the team members, notes Faulkner, are relative newcomers to the sport. Nonetheless, Green Run is definitely a team that is improving. They have gone from not winning any meets in seasons past to winning four last year. Several members of the team show great promise in elevating the Stallions above their current standing.
One such athlete is Ashley Jackson-Horne. This seventeen-year-old senior has been involved in gymnastics since she was eight years old, plenty of time to refine her technique and develop proficiency in the sport. (She has also capably demonstrated athletic prowess in other areas, including diving.) Since she was a sophomore, Jackson-Horne has qualified for competition in the Beach District and Eastern Regional meets, and justifiably so. While her specialties are the floor and dance routines, she is skilled as well in the bars, the balance beam, and the vault.
Her dexterity does not come easily, though. Jackson-Horne says, “I work hard to be a better gymnast. When I am at practice, I devote one hundred percent and more to improving my performance.” This doggedness is something that Jackson-Horne says is replete in Green Run’s gymnastics squad as a whole. “This is a persistent group. They are always reaching for different goals,” she says. Jackson-Horne hopes to compete at the collegiate level, and she is well-poised to do so. Her strong showing is due in large part to whom she identifies as role models: her mother, who is always supportive; Coach Faulkner, who has been with Green Run for six years; and Dominique Dawes, the Olympic gold medal gymnast.
But even as Jackson-Horne proves a leader among her teammates, who are quite capable themselves, the road to victory in the Beach District will not necessarily be smooth sailing. “The number of meets has decreased over the years,” explains Faulkner, “so there is less opportunity to earn the points that these athletes need for power rankings at the end of the season.” Likewise, the field of competition is exceedingly difficult. The Stallions will need to squeeze past Kempsville, First Colonial and Bayside to advance as a team to the district tournament. In fact, they will need to finish within the top five if they hope to show off their obvious talent in February.
Faulkner is encouraged by her team this year, and she has the experience to direct attention where it is needed most. Though the Stallions work on the entire range of gymnastic proficiency in practice, Faulkner has them concentrating on particular areas. “A lot of these athletes come to this program with tumbling experience, but new gymnasts have the most difficult time on the uneven bars,” she says. “That is one area that we focus on.” The Stallions’ time and attention, however, has paid off. Their team is one that has the experience and technique to make it to the district tournament. Under Faulkner’s capable leadership, Green Run will continue to improve, heightening as well the quality of gymnastics in the Beach District at large.
