By Melissa Stoltz
LSU Sports Information
Sophomore gymnast Emily Ellis has had her fair share of broken bones. When she was in seventh grade she broke her arm in half while performing on the uneven bars.
Unfortunately history seemed to repeat itself during Ellis’ freshman season at LSU where she had another mishap on the bars that resulted in a broken elbow, an injury that caused her to miss eight weeks of training and the entire 2005 competitive season.
“Last year, it was the week before our first meet. I was doing a move similar to my release move this year,” Ellis said. “I missed the bar and landed with my arm straight. I broke my elbow in three places on the radial head and strained all the ligaments on the inside.”
While this injury would have been a major setback to most people, Ellis believes it has only made her stronger.
“I don’t think it set me back at all,” she said. “I think it made me come back with a vengeance. I wanted to work hard.”
Ellis’ hard work through the spring, summer and fall training periods certainly paid dividends this winter when she returned to the competitive arena. Ellis has been a staple in Tigers’ vault, bars and floor lineups this season.
LSU head coach D-D Breaux believes Ellis has all-around potential, but it probably won’t be until next season that she sees action in all four events. Both Breaux and Ellis are working together on building confidence in Ellis’ beam routine which will be key to her all-around success.
“Beam is not my toughest event,” Ellis said. “It is my least confident event.”
Breaux believes once she has confidence in Ellis’ beam routine, Ellis will have more confidence in herself.
“I’ve been very pleased with what Emily has given us in three events, but I think I need to have more confidence in her beam set before I am ready to put her in the lineup,” said Breaux. “Once I have that confidence, I know she’ll have it in herself.”
Something Breaux is confident about is Ellis performance on the other three events.
“I’ve been very happy with what Emily has been able to contribute to this team this season. She’s a solid gymnast, a dynamic gymnast and when she sticks that vault landing you’ll be hard pressed to find a better vault in the country,” said Breaux.
Breaux, who constantly stresses the importance of stuck landings to her team, believes that is one attribute that will separate the great gymnasts from the good gymnasts.
Breaux message must have gotten through to Ellis on March 3, 2006 at the PMAC when she stuck her vault landing for the first time in competition to earn her career-high 9.950 against Alabama.
“We had been working so hard in the gym on sticking it, and I know this sounds kind of corny but it almost brought tears to my eyes because of how much we had been working it in the gym,” Ellis said. “When I stuck it I looked at my vault coach and it was like ?Wow, it finally happened.’ I was just thrilled.”
It is a part of the shared excitement with the coaching staff that was a huge factor in Ellis’ decision to attend LSU, a University she choose over hometown Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Ellis said she felt like a part of the LSU family the moment she arrived on campus.
“I honestly fell in love with the coaches,” she said. “I came on my recruiting trip and I loved the girls. I had seen the campus before, and I told then this is where I want to come, it feels like home to me.”
While her real home is in Alabama, it’s lucky for Ellis and her family that the drive to her current home in Baton Rouge isn’t too far. Ellis credits her whole family, not just one individual, as her inspiration when she competes as each and every member of her family has always been completely supportive of her gymnastics career.
“I really want to do it for my family,” said Ellis. “They have put in so much time, so much money and so much effort for me. They all support me 100 percent. My brother, my sisters and my parents are just so supportive.”
Like most gymnasts, Ellis uses their inspiration to help her perform to the best of her ability. She hopes one day that will translate to a SEC team championship, a berth to the Super Six finals and All-America honors.
“For me personally, I would love to be an All-American in every event that I compete, which at this point is bars, vault and floor,” said Ellis.
With this season winding down all of Ellis’ goals are still in reach. She will use her family’s support, her coaches’ confidence, as well as her own determination to compete in her quest for team championships and All-America honors.
The first goal could be right around the corner at the Ellis and eighth-ranked gymnastics team travel to Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday for the SEC Championships.