Ashleigh Gnat

Ashleigh Gnat
— Gymnast —
Full name Ashleigh Marie Gnat
Nickname(s) Bugs
Born (1994-11-13) November 13, 1994
Altamonte, Florida
Hometown Lake Mary, Florida[1]
Residence Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Height 152 cm (5 ft 0 in)
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Level College
Club ACE Gymnastics
College team LSU Lady Tigers
Head coach(es) D-D Breaux
Assistant coach(es) Jay Clark
Former coach(es) Ray Gnat, Beth Martin, Jon Lee
Choreographer Ashleigh Clare-Kearney

Ashleigh Marie Gnat (born November 13, 1994 in Altamonte Springs, Florida) is an American collegiate gymnast. She represents the LSU Lady Tigers gymnastics team and has been a member since 2014.

Early life

Ashleigh Marie Gnat was born on November 13, 1994 in Altamonte Springs to parents, Ray and Joan (née Moore; formerly Rice) Gnat. Both of her parents former gymnasts themselves, her father was an All-American gymnast for the now defunct LSU Tigers men's gymnastics program[2] and her mother was a 1972 Olympian.[3][4] Ashleigh is the youngest of four children and is the only one of her siblings to have a different father as her other siblings' father is Bob Rice; a former Temple gymnast.[5][6] She has two brothers, Sean and Stephen, a film editor at Full Sail University.[7] Gnat's older sister, Jeana Rice-Healms (b. November 22, 1981) is a former Alabama Crimson Tide gymnast, who was the 2004 NCAA Champion.[8][9][10]

Gnat first started gymnastics in 1997; shortly after her parents finished completion on their new gymnastics facility in Longwood, Florida, ACE Gymnastics.[11][12] Although she comes from an established gymnastics family, Ashleigh has stated that she didn't feel any 'added pressure'. An immediate natural talent, she moved up to Level 9 by the time she was eleven and finished eighth at the 2007 Eastern Championships; placing higher than eventual 2012 Olympic champion, Gabby Douglas.[13]

Gymnastics career

2008–13: Level 10 career

Gnat moved up to Level 10 for the 2008 season, aged 13. She was second in the all-around at Regionals as well as taking the vault and bars titles.[14] She advanced to her first J.O. Nationals in Orlando, Florida and was nineteenth in the all-around.[15] A year later, Gnat was third all-around at States as well as being the vault and floor champion.[16] Later, at Regionals, Ashleigh took home silver medals in the all-around, on vault and on bars. She also won the floor competition.[17] In mid-May, Gnat participated in her second J.O. Nationals; finishing ninth in the all-around.[18] She tied for third on floor with three other gymnasts.[19]

Ashleigh qualified to the inaugural Nastia Liukin Cup in 2010.[20] She was twenty-first in the all-around at the event.[21] Later in the year, Gnat snatched both State and Regional all-around titles.[22][23] At her third J.O. Nationals, Gnat tied for seventh in the all-around.[24] In 2011, Gnat defended her Regional title in the all-around.[25] A disappointing J.O. National performance left her fifteenth in the all-around.[26] On January 9, 2012, Ashleigh verbally committed to the LSU Lady Tigers gymnastics team.[27] Gnat qualified to her second Nastia Liukin Cup in 2012.[28] At the event, Ashleigh placed twenty-second in the all-around.[29] Later, Gnat was the Florida State champion in the all-around as well as three events.[30] At Regionals, she was tied second in the all-around.[31] In May, Ashleigh was fifth at J.O. Nationals.[32] Later, on November 16, 2012, she signed the National Letter of Intent to the Tigers team.[33]

Ashleigh's final club competitive season was in 2013, turning out to be her best ever. At the Lady Luck Invitational in Las Vegas, she scored a perfect 10.000 score on vault, which secured her the ranking of No. 1 in the Nation on that event.[34] Her performance also secured her her third Nastia Liukin Cup qualification berth; a feat that has rarely been done.[35] At the Cup, she tied eighth in the all-around with 2012 winner, Charity Jones.[36] Gnat was Florida State champion in the all-around and on three events.[37] Later, at Regionals, Gnat took a clean sweep of all five titles, claiming victory with her highest ever score of 39.000; ranking as the No. 5 highest all-around score in the Nation for the entire 2013 season.[38][39] At her fifth and final J.O. Nationals, Gnat was second in the all-around.[40] In addition, she was the vault champion[41] and joint floor champion with Kullen Hlawek.[42] As a result, Gnat was named to the USA Gymnastics J.O. National team.[43]

2014–present: College career

2014 season: Freshman

Gnat saw action on vault, beam and floor during her Freshman season. During the championship season, at the SEC Championships, she contributed on vault and beam.[44]

Personal life

Gnat attended Lake Mary High School until graduation in 2013.[45] She is currently studying Sports Administration at Louisiana State University.

References

  1. ↑ https://ericarath.wordpress.com/usa-gymnastics/
  2. ↑ http://www.acegymnastics.net/about/our-history/
  3. ↑ http://www.usghof.org/files/bio/j_moore/j_moore.html
  4. ↑ http://www.gymn-forum.net/Results/oly-results.html
  5. ↑ http://issuu.com/usagymnastics/docs/1974_8oct/28
  6. ↑ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/w-gym/auto_pdf/2004-media-guide-48-73.pdf
  7. ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-rice/55/330/53b
  8. ↑ https://usagym.org/pages/athletes/archivedbios/r/jrice.html
  9. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=20020202&id=ZTwdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LKYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2694,225587&hl=en
  10. ↑ http://www.gymn-forum.net/Results/NCAA-W/04-aa.html
  11. ↑ http://www.lsureveille.com/sports/gymnastics/gymnast-brings-family-s-prestige-back-to-lsu/article_6e3310d4-7e43-11e3-9353-0019bb30f31a.html
  12. ↑ http://www.nastialiukincup.com/qualifier/gnat-ashleigh/
  13. ↑ https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/Women/2007/07%20Easterns/L9-JrA-S1.pdf
  14. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20130924033820/http://gymdivas.us/profile_gnat.htm
  15. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=2240788&pb=N&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=JuniorA&gymnastid=-99
  16. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=13591329&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=L10_Grp1&gymnastid=70745
  17. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=14828307&session=6A,%206B&level=10&division=JrB&gymnastid=70745
  18. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=1245873&session=JRB&level=10&division=JuniorB&gymnastid=70745
  19. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=1245873&pb=N&session=JRB&level=10&division=JuniorB&teamid=&teamname=&gymnastid=70745&orderby=9
  20. ↑ https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=4942&prog=h
  21. ↑ https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_10nlsc_030510.pdf
  22. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=14828972&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=6L10Grp2&gymnastid=70745
  23. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16063849&session=6&level=10&division=Jr.C&gymnastid=70745
  24. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16063880&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=JuniorC&gymnastid=70745
  25. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16065107&session=6A,%206B&level=10&division=JrD&gymnastid=70745
  26. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16065137&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=JrD&gymnastid=70745
  27. ↑ http://www.collegegymfans.com/index.php/recruiting-news/item/2235-2013-2014-gnat-to-lsu.html
  28. ↑ https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=9527&prog=h
  29. ↑ https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_12nlc_final.pdf
  30. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16066186&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=L10s6gr3&gymnastid=70745
  31. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16066238&session=Multiple%20Sessions%20Combined&level=10&division=L10SnB&gymnastid=70745
  32. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=16066274&session=2SR&level=10&division=SeniorB&gymnastid=70745
  33. ↑ http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205745601
  34. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/at40.pl?event=VT&level=10&year=2013
  35. ↑ https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=11308&prog=h
  36. ↑ https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/w_13nlc_final.pdf
  37. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=45603&session=7&level=10&division=L10s7grp4&gymnastid=70745
  38. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/at40.pl?event=AA&level=10&year=2013
  39. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=1000000094&session=11A,%2011B&level=10&division=SeniorD&gymnastid=70745
  40. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=44051&session=&level=10&division=SrD&gymnastid=70745
  41. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=44051&pb=N&session=&level=10&division=SrD&teamid=&teamname=&gymnastid=70745&orderby=6
  42. ↑ http://www.mymeetscores.com/meet.pl?meetid=44051&pb=N&session=&level=10&division=SrD&teamid=&teamname=&gymnastid=70745&orderby=9
  43. ↑ https://usagym.org/pages/women/history/past_nat_teams_jo.html
  44. ↑ http://www.lsusports.net/pdf9/2663123.pdf?ATCLID=209441774&SPSID=27855&SPID=2171&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=5200
  45. ↑ http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=208906163
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