Marie Annonson

Last updated
Marie Annonson
Country representedFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born (1984-10-08) October 8, 1984 (age 40)
HometownAntelope, California
DisciplineAcrobatic gymnastics
LevelSenior International
GymWest Coast Training Center (owner)

Marie Annonson is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who currently owns the acrobatic gymnastics facility WestCoast Training Center (WCTC) in Livermore, California. [1]

Contents

Athletic career

During her acrobatic gymnastics career, Annonson competed nationally and internationally as the base of a women's pair with top Brittany Horrell on California Acrosports Team (CATs) in Sacramento, California with her coach Tonya Case. [2]

In April 2000, Annonson and Horrell took fifth place in the junior division of the Flanders Acro Trophy in Deinze, Belgium. [3]

At the 2001 Azur Acro Cup in Antibes, France during April, Annonson and Horrell placed third all-around (49.150). [4]

In 2002, they competed at the Machuga Cup in Krasnodar, Russia, winning the silver medal right under the reigning Russian world champions. Later on that year, they won the gold at the Winterthur Cup sports acrobatics competition in Winterthur, Switzerland.

The women's pair participated in the first Sports Acrobatics World Age Group Games during November 2001 in Zielona Góra, Poland, where they placed eighth in the all-around. [5]

The pair won the all-around title at the 2002 U.S. National Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana, [2] also winning the 2002 Best Choreography Award for their notable "doll routine".

They also competed at the 2002 Sports Acrobatic World Age Group Games in Riesa, Germany, [6] where they placed sixth in the preliminary round. [7]

Coaching career

Annonson retired from competition and began coaching in 2003.

Among the athletes she has coached are Kristin Allen and Michael Rodrigues, who won the mixed-pair all-around gold medal at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the first ever gold medal won for the United States in acrobatic gymnastics at a World Games event. [8] In 2010, Annonson also coached Allen and Rodrigues to win the mixed-pair all-around gold medal at the 2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Wroclaw, Poland, the second gold medal ever won for the US in acrobatics at a World Championships.

WCTC athletes includes the 2011 U.S. mixed-pairs champions, Cassie Lim and Brian Kincher. [9] Lim and Kincher also won the mixed-pair gold in the all-around at the 2011 Flanders International Acro Cup in Puurs, Belgium. [10]

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, Annonson was named Coach of the Year by USA Gymnastics. [11]

The members of the 2011 U.S. Acrobatic Gymnastics National Team members who trained at WCTC include U.S. Junior National Mixed Pair Champions Ani Smith and Jake Kanavel and the junior women's group of Haley Douglas, Samantha Mihalic and Nicole Potepa. [12] In 2008, 10 out of 20 athletes attending the World Age Group Championships from the USA were from WCTC. In 2010, eight of the 14 members of the U.S. Senior National Acrobatics Gymnastics Team trained at WCTC.[ citation needed ] Members of the 2010 U.S. junior national team that trained at WCTC include Smith, Kanavel, and the women's group of Cassandra Lim, Alyssa Gardner and Katie Slater. [13] At the 2012 World Championships in Florida, Annonson attended as the official Head Coach for the USA Delegation. In 2014, she had 8 National Team members on the USA World Age Group delegation and 2 National Team members on the World Championship delegation. Between 2016 and 2020, WCTC continued to train USA National team members. From 2019 to 2022, WCTC's women's group of Cassidy Cu, Victoria Blante and Eily Corbett joined the Senior National Team. In 2023, WCTC's Cassidy Cu and Jaylen Ivey are current Senior National team members.

After attending the 2016 World Championships with her 13-19 women's group of Morgan Sweeney, Sophie Gruszka, and Amanda Waterson, Annonson shifted from full-time Head Coach of WestCoast Training Center to focus solely on running the business portion of WCTC. Michael Rodrigues, her former World Champion, took over as Head Coach and continues that position currently. Annonson returned to coaching with Rodrigues and her other team coaches in 2019 however, Michael Rodrigues remains the head coach of WestCoast Training Center. Rodrigues has continued producing elite-level athletes for WCTC winning bronze at the 2013 World Cup with women's group Sweeney, Gruszka and Waterson. Most notably the WCTC women's group of Cassidy Cu, Victoria Blante and Eily Corbett won both an All-Around bronze medal, and a gold medal in the Balance category at the 2022 Senior World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Within each program at USA Gymnastics, the federation recognizes coaches that have received the highest level of coaching distinction. This title is called the Master of Sport. Annonson was added to this honorary list in 2014. Along with that recognition, her athletes Kristin Allen and Michael Rodrigues were also inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.

Annonson participated in the FIG Coaching Academy Level 1 in Lisbon, Portugal in 2009, Level 2 in Ghent, Belgium in 2015, and the final Academy Level 3 in Aalen, Germany in 2022. She passed Level 3 with the highest marks along with 4 other peers earning her FIG Coaching Brevet.

In 2017, Annonson started her judging career by attending the FIG International Judges course in Indianapolis, Indiana earning her FIG Judging Brevet Category 4. She then passed up to Category 3 in 2023 at the same course in Lausanne, Switzerland. Annonson has judged at international acrobatic gymnastics competitions in Switzerland (2019), (Belgium (2019), and Portugal (2020). With her most notable judging roles being at the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Age Group Championships in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021, and again in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2022. She is also currently a USA Nationally Rated Judge.

Other contributions Annonson has made to Acrobatic Gymnastics is her participation in the Introductory Acrobatic Gymnastics course created and led by her former coach, Tonya Case. This course was created by Case while she was the Acrobatic Gymnastics FIG Technical Committee President to grow Acrobatic Gymnastics in multiple countries interested in the sport. Annonson helped create the 4-day curriculum course and has taught the course in Venezuela (2010), Bolivia (2011), Mozambique - Africa (2012), Mexico (2013 & 2018), Guatemala (2018), & Trinidad & Tobago (2018).

Annonson started choreographing acrobatic routines in 2002 and has been doing choreography for both her team and other clubs across the USA since. Her choreography has contributed to many team USA medals including choreographing the routines that won Cu, Blante and Corbett the bronze and gold medals at the 2022 Senior World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. Annonson has also choreographed the National Elite Routine in 2017 & 2018 at the Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships.

Currently, Annonson is focusing on WestCoast Training Center, her acrobatic gymnastics business in Livermore, California. She often travels to teach multi-level acrobatic courses, choreograph acrobatic routines nationally, judge acrobatic competitions and other various positions such as being a member of the Las Vegas World Cup Organizing Committee. Annonson and WCTC hosts regional championships ever year and she also assists running competitions such as the Pan American Championships in Bogota, Colombia in 2022.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gymnastics</span> Sport requiring strength and flexibility

Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, and abdominal muscle groups. Gymnastics evolved from exercises used by the ancient Greeks that included skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and from circus performance skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trampolining</span> Acrobatic sport

Trampolining or trampoline gymnastics is a competitive Olympic sport in which athletes perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. In competition, these can include simple jumps in the straight, pike, tuck, or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward and/or backward somersaults and twists. Scoring is based on the difficulty and on the total seconds spent in the air. Points are deducted for bad form and horizontal displacement from the center of the bed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrobatic gymnastics</span> Competitive gymnastic discipline

Acrobatic gymnastics is a competitive discipline of gymnastics where partnerships of gymnasts work together and perform routines consisting of acrobatic skills, dance and tumbling, set to music. There are three types of routines; a 'balance' routine where the focus is on strength, poise and flexibility; a 'dynamic' routine which includes throws, somersaults and catches, and a 'combined' routine which includes elements from both balance and dynamic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Allen</span> American acrobatic gymnast

Kristin Allen is a Hall of Fame American acrobatic gymnast. Kristin and her partner Michael Rodrigues made history by becoming the first American mixed pair to win a gold medal from the World Games in 2009 and the second American pair to win the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in 2010. Domestically, the pair have won national titles in 2008 and 2010. She competed for the United States of America Gymnastics from 2001 until her retirement in August 2010 and spent five of those years on the Senior National Team.

Axl Osborne is an acrobatic gymnast. He currently competes as the base in a mixed pair with his partner Tiffani Williams. With partner Tiffani Williams, Osbourne came 2nd at the 2016 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. He previously competed as the base in a Level 9 mixed pair with his partner, acrobatic gymnast Lydia Webb.

Michael Rodrigues is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who now performs in the Cirque du Soleil show Viva ELVIS in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with his former mixed-pairs partner, retired elite acrobatic gymnast Kristin Allen.

Clare Brunson is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who competed as the top in a mixed-pair team with elite acrobatic gymnast Michael Rodrigues, also now retired.

Arthur Davis is a retired U.S. acrobatic gymnast who won two world championship titles while completing as the base in a mixed pair with top Shenea Booth.

Youri Germanovich Vorobyev is a Soviet-born coach of acrobatic gymnastics who produced more than a dozen world-championship acrobatic gymnasts during his coaching career in the Soviet Union and Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships</span>

The 2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships was the 22nd edition of acrobatic gymnastics competition and were held in Wrocław, Poland from 16 to 18 July 2010, at the Hala Orbita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships</span> Gymnastics competition

The 2012 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships was the 23rd edition of acrobatic gymnastics competition and were held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States from April 16 to April 18, 2012. It was held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex HP Field House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiley Boynton</span> American acrobatic gymnast

Kiley Boynton is an American female acrobatic gymnast. With Ryan Ward, she was awarded the bronze medal in the 2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konstantin Pilipchuk</span> Russian acrobatic gymnast

Konstantin Pilipchuk is a Russian male acrobatic gymnast medalled at five Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. In partnership with Alexei Dudchenko, he is a two-times world champion in men's pairs, winning in the 2012 and 2014. He won silver medals at the 2006, 2008 and 2010. Along with Dudchenko, he also won silver medal on the 2009 World Games, gold medal on the 2013 World Games and is a four-time European champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexei Dudchenko</span> Russian acrobatic gymnast

Alexei Dudchenko is a Russian male acrobatic gymnast medalled at five Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. In partnership with Konstantin Pilipchuk, he is a two-times world champion in men's pairs, winning in the 2012 and 2014. He won silver medals at the 2006, 2008 and 2010. Along with Pilipchuk, he also won silver medal on the 2009 World Games, gold medal on the 2013 World Games and is a four-time European champion.

These are four lists of achievements in major international gymnastics events according to first-place, second-place and third-place results obtained by gymnasts representing different nations. The objective is not to create combined medal tables; the focus is on listing the best positions achieved by gymnasts in major international competitions, ranking the nations according to the most number of podiums accomplished by gymnasts of these nations. All seven competitive disciplines currently recognized by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) are covered: 1) acrobatic gymnastics, 2) aerobic gymnastics, 3) men's artistic gymnastics, 4) women's artistic gymnastics, 5) women's rhythmic gymnastics, 6) trampoline and tumbling, and 7) parkour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships</span> Acrobatic gymnastics competition held in China, on 1 April 2016

The 2016 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships was the 25th edition of acrobatic gymnastics competition and were held in Putian, China from April 1 to April 3, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships</span>

The 2022 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships was held from 10 to 13 March 2022 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Bohdan Petrovych Pohranychnyi is a Ukrainian male acrobatic gymnast.

Danylo Maksymovych Stetsiuk is a Ukrainian acrobatic gymnast.

Anastasiia Romanivna Semenovych is a Ukrainian acrobatic gymnast, who completes in mixed pair with Bohdan Ivanyk.

References

  1. Rubens, Carrie (27 December 2008). "Awesome Acros -- Livermore center trains rare breed of extra-agile athletes". Article. The Oakland Tribune.
  2. 1 2 "National Champions – Acrobatic Gymnastics". Factsheet. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  3. Binet, Valère. "Flanders Acro Trophy". Results and Photo. Valère Binet.
  4. "Azur Acro Cup, April 13–14, 2001 - Antibes, France". Results. Valère Binet. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  5. "1st Sports Acrobatics World Age Group Games" (PDF). Results. sportsacrobatics.info. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  6. "USA Gymnastics Announces 2002 Sports Acrobatics World Championships and World Age Group Games Teams". Press Release. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  7. "U.S. Results at Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships". usagym.org. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  8. "Golden at the World Games". Article. USA Gymnastics. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  9. "Lim and Kincher claim all-around title at '11 Acro Nationals". USA Gymnastics. 26 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  10. "Kincher and Lim win gold at Flanders International Acro Cup". USA Gymnastics. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  11. "2009 Award Winners" (PDF). Technique. USA Gymnastics. September–October 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  12. "Acrobatic Gymnastics National Teams". Roster. USA Gymnastics. 27 July 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  13. "New USAG National Team Members". webpage. West Coast Training Center. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2011.