Ready for the 'M'

Olympian Ray chooses Michigan over the professional gymnastics ranks

Although she isn't competing in Sydney, and even though her team now wears Maize and Blue instead of red, white and blue, freshman Olympian Elise Ray would not trade her spot on the Michigan women's gymnastics team for anything.

On Nov. 22, Michigan coach Bev Plocki received word from the NCAA that Ray had been given clearance to compete for the Wolverines this season.

"It was a very stressful time for me because Elise strung out her decision till the end," Plocki said. "But after I heard the news, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep all night."

Ray, captain of the US women's gymnastics team in Sydney this past summer, began her career at a very early age in her hometown of Columbia, Maryland.

"I started when I was six," Ray said. "I enrolled in a small recreational class that wasn't even a gymnastics class to begin with. I just kind of had a knack for it, so the teachers there told my coaches that I should be put in a regular gymnastics program. I have been competing ever since."

From that point on, everything has seemed to come easily to Ray.

"My biggest obstacle growing up was not believing in myself enough," Ray said. "Sometimes I would get frustrated and stuck if I couldn't get something, and that didn't get me anywhere. But my coaches and teammates helped me a lot with that."

In 1995, Ray began competing for the Hill's Gymnastics Club under the tutelage of coach Kelli Hill. Hill, two time winner of the USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year award, has also coached the world championships team on four separate occasions.

Ray said that the time spent at Hill's was important because she could watch older gymnasts perform and learn from an excellent coach.

"I have always been kind of the baby in the group, so I have always liked watching older gymnasts because they motivate me.

"When I joined the club in 1995, Dominique Dawes was just starting to train for the 1996 Olympics. It was really cool to be training with her," Ray said.

While competing with the club, Ray also attended Wilde Lake High School where her days would often become very long and difficult.

"Coach Hill was a firm believer in the public school system," Ray said. "It was hard, though, because I would go to gymnastics practice before school for an hour-and-a-half, then come back after school for five more hours."

Still, all the hard work paid off for Ray. In 2000, it was her turn to step into the spotlight and lead the Olympic team into Sydney for the summer games.

"The Olympics was an amazing experience," Ray said. "It was really hard when we were there, but the team as a whole was wonderful. We all got along really well and we became really good friends. Also, Sydney was a beautiful city, and we had a lot of fun.

"One of the best moments was the Olympic trials. When we found out we had made the team, we went out on the floor, confetti and balloons dropped, and it was amazing."

Ray struggled a bit, finishing 14th in the all-around and eighth on the balance beam.

The 2000 Olympic Games was not the only major competition Ray participated in during her five years on the US National Team. In 1999, Ray traveled to China to compete in the gymnastics world championships. Prior to the Olympics, Ray competed in New Zealand as a member of the 2000 Senior Pacific Alliance Team.

But after five years on the national team, Ray had to choose a college. For coach Plocki and assistant coach Scott Sherman, it was their time to shine. After one trip to Ann Arbor, and one in-house visit by Sherman, Ray was convinced.

"Recruiting Elise was a challenge for us because we knew every school would have loved to have her," Plocki said. "She made recruiting trips to Michigan, UCLA and Utah. I think she fit in really well with the kids here - she was really down to earth."

"UCLA was our biggest fear because they do an excellent job with recruiting," Sherman said. "But I think everything clicked for her here. She was a perfect fit with the athletes and the girls really wanted her here."

Ray is looking forward to competing at the college level because of the team-oriented atmosphere that surrounds it.

"Elite level gymnastics, like the Olympics, focuses on the individual. You're kind of out there on your own when competing," Ray said. "At the college level there is so much team spirit and it is a lot more fun."

With the addition of Ray, the women's gymnastics team hopes that they can finally capture the NCAA championship that has eluded it for many years. Michigan finished as runner-up in 1995 and 1999, its highest finishes ever.

Ray, who passed up an opportunity to compete at the professional level by staying in Ann Arbor, will make her first start of the season this Friday night at home when the Wolverines host Minnesota and Iowa.

"She is a wonderful gymnast, and a wonderful woman," Plocki said. "We hope that she can bring pleasure to all of our fans."