Nov. 11, 2006

By: Matt Bosen Redhawk Sports Information

Head Coach Tom Farden and Southeast gymnastics is preparing for the start of the 2007 season. Meanwhile, Farden is also planning for the 2008 season. The Redhawks, who added six freshmen this season, will lose no players to graduation at the conclusion of the season and will add at least three more gymnasts to the team next season. The Redhawks signed Christina Sundgren and Kara Gibbons to National Letters of Intent and also received a commitment from Erica Moore to walk-on to the team.

Christina Sundgren

Christina Sundgren, the 2005 Washington State Champion, is currently coached by Joe Softich at Mid-Columbia Gymnastics Academy. During her prep/club career she won the uneven bars competition at the 2006 Regional Championships, finished second on the bars at the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships (2005) and placed fourth on the floor exercise at the Region 2 championship (2005). She brings a strong academic background to Southeast as well, with her current GPA of a 3.95.

Coach Farden stated that, "Sundgren has the ability to compete with the top NCAA gymnasts on the bars and her other three events are solid as well".

Kara Gibbons comes to Southeast via the Georgia Gymnastics Academy where she currently trains under Judy Prestigiacomo-Miller and Scott Mackall. Gibbons was the Georgia State Champion for the vault at Level 10 in 2005. She also served as the first alternate for the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships. In 2006 she placed fourth on the vault at the State Championships and fifth on the vault at the Regional Championships. Gibbons will add her 3.8 GPA to a Redhawk team that prides itself on the quality of its academic performances as much as its gymnastic performances.

Farden said "Gibbons has been pegged to make immediate impacts on vault, beam and bars".

Erica Moore

The third addition to the squad will be walk-on Erica Moore. Moore has been a member of the Region 8 team since 2002 and she competed at the 2004 Eastern Championships. During 2006 she finished third in the all-around at the Tennessee State Championships and also placed fourth at the Level 10 Region 8 Championships. Her current club is Let It Shine where she is coached by Tim Richards. Moore brings the best GPA of the three newcomers as she posted a perfect 4.0 in high school.

In Farden's opinion, "Moore is a talented athlete who has a tremendous work ethic and could develop into a solid gymnast".