GIRLS GYMNASTICS: AOTW — Going for Gold: Troy’s Shabet has aspirations in the clouds
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
TROY — Every time Christina Shabet walks out onto the competition floor, she knows that Troy High won’t be winning many meets.
There are no unrealistic dreams of a league, regional or state championship. There will be no large banners on the gymnasium wall and the Colts won’t be tagged as a state powerhouse.
At least as a team.
Troy High only has for competitors for the 2012-13 school year. But one of them is still one of the best in the state — and it’s Christina Shabet.
A junior, Shabet is having a grand season and she hopes it be quite successful in the high school season’s final month.
Troy will participate in the regional competition March 2 at Troy Athens, where Shabet is top-seeded competitor in Division I. The talented gymnast has already won several competitions this season and has her sights set high on the biggest weekend of the year: March 8-9.
Plymouth High School will be the site of this year’s state championships and Shabet has aspirations in the clouds.
“I would love to be in the top five,” said Shabet of the upcoming state finals. “Based on what I have done this year, I would love to be able to finish that high — maybe better.”
Shabet has won the Division I All-Around competition at the Fraser three years running and recently won the Toy Athens Invitational, Plymouth Canton Invitational and the OAA Invitational.
“She’s a very talented gymnasts who keeps getting better and better,” said Troy coach Cynthia Tan. “She just rises to the occasion. I don’t know if she knows how good she can be.”
STICKING IT: Troy’s Christina Shabet is quite used to finishing high at numerous events in her high school career. She is one of the state’s top prep gymnasts. Photo | Andrew Shabet.
At the Canton Invite, the second largest meet of the season featuring many of the state’s top teams and individuals, Shabet was sterling, winning the All-Around competition with 38.325 points. She also won the floor exercise (9.700) and balance beam (9.700), while she also finished second on both the vault and parallel bars.
Like many other gymnasts, Shabet started at a young age, growing up at the Gymnastics Training Center in Rochester Hills. She no longer competes all year, as she also duals with lacrosse at Troy as a midfielder.
On the club level, she has a track record of many high finishes at a variety of invitationals around the state. Although far from the Olympic trials, she is still one of the better gymnasts in her age group state wide.
“It’s tougher at the club level because there are a lot more competitors and a lot more (high level) competitors,” admitted Shabet. “But I have still done well at some meets the past couple of years.”
With a year and a half of high school still remaining, Shabet is far from her potential as a prep athlete.
At last year’s state finals, Shabet was ninth on the vault, eighth on bars, third on beam, 16th on floor, and seventh in the All-Around. She is miles above that level right now.
“I think I have a great shot at winning the regional this season and at the state finals I would love to be top five, top three maybe,” said Shabet. “I would love to one day be a state champion. I know its high up there, but you have to (shoot for the clouds).”
And think of gold.
STATS ON SHABET: http://www.mymeetscores.com/gymnast.pl?gymnastid=132069
To submit information to www.northoaklandsports.com, e-mail dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com. To advertise, e-mail advertising@northoaklandsports.com . Follow us on Twitter @LocalSportsFans and more than a dozen other social media networks.
FOR MORE GYMNASTICS COVERAGE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Gymnastics&x=10&y=12
Have photos or video of this event that you wish to share? E-mail pertinent information to www.northoaklandsports.com Senior Editor Dan Stickradt at dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com or e-mail results@northoaklandsports.com.
Category: Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Top Stories, Troy, Uncategorized
