ALAINA BAKER
Cal State Fullerton gymnast and Oak Grove High School graduate
Baker, an Oak Grove High School graduate and a former gymnast at Great American Gymnastic Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs, just completed a successful freshman season at Cal State Fullerton. Baker earned all-conference honors by taking fourth in the floor exercise and sixth in the all-around at the Western Athletic Conference Championships in Boise, Idaho in late March. She then qualified for the NCAA Regional in Corvallis, Ore., in mid-April, where she competed in the all-around, finishing seventh. Her score of 38.900 at the NCAA Regional was just .125 away from qualifying for the NCAA National Championships. Baker won the all-around in two meets this season and finished in the top three in six other meets. She also topped the 38-point mark in 12 of her 13 meets this season. She took a minute out of her busy schedule to talk about her successful first college season.
1. What did you think of your performance during your freshman season? Did it live up to your expectations?
I thought it went pretty well. Sometimes good, sometimes I could have done better. I wish I could have done a little bit better, so I could have made nationals, but for the most part I was pretty happy.
2. What was the highlight of your first season?
Probably just making regionals and a lot of stuff that we did as a team. I was just glad to be able to contribute to the team and when we would all succeed together and do well, it was really fun! Going to regionals was fun too, it was a good experience and it was cool to see some of the differences between club and NCAA regionals.
3. What was your reaction when you learned you had qualified for the NCAA regionals?
I was happy. I don’t want to say it was something I expected, because I know it’s not an easy thing to do, but I felt like I worked hard all season and that I should make it, so I just thought of it as just another meet. But, yeah, I was glad it was really cool.
4. What was the atmosphere like at the NCAA meet? How did it differ from your Level 10 Junior Olympics meets?
It had a lot more energy to it. Everything was so serious and intense. There was a bigger crowd and just a lot more people than at Junior Olympics regionals and nationals. It’s just so different because all the other athletes were competing for their team and not just for themselves, so everyone’s screaming and cheering for their teammates, because they win as a team and lose as a team. For me, since I was competing as an individual, it wasn’t way different than Junior Olympics, but I was still representing my school and my team, so it was a little different of an experience.
5. What are the differences between your training as a Level 10 gymnast at GAGE and as a college gymnast at Fullerton?
Oh, my gosh, it’s so much easier. When I first got there, we would finish our workouts and I’d be like, “That’s it?” I’d feel like I didn’t do anything. It was weird, we work out half the hours that I did at GAGE. It’s not really about doing a million numbers and putting in a million hours here. I realize I don’t have to do that now. Here it’s just all about consistency. If you can hit your routine when it counts, that’s all you need.
6. Why did you choose Fullerton, and what do you think of your choice after your first year?
Honestly, at first I just wanted to get out of Missouri. When I found out about Fullerton, right in the middle of Orange County, I thought, “Oh that would be a fun experience.” When would I get a chance like that again? So I sent a video and started talking to Coach (Jill) Hicks. Then, I guess, she liked me, so I came out for a couple recruiting trips. All the girls were really nice and I met another girl, who is one of my best friends now, that was on the same recruiting trip as me and we had a lot in common. I knew they were trying to make the program better, and I didn’t want to go to one of the top schools, I just wanted to go somewhere that I could have fun and help build the program up. I’m happy with my choice.
7. College is a long way from home. What is the thing you miss most about home when you’re in California?
I miss my family and friends. I was really close to my brother and sister, so I miss doing stupid random stuff with them all the time. And I also kind of miss the cold and the snow. Oh, and the traffic out here sucks!
8. What are your goals for next season and after that?
Well, first of all, I really hope we make it as a team to regionals next year. That would be so much fun! And then, as for myself, I would really like to make nationals next year and all the other years.
9. What do you do with your off time at school? Is there any time to hang out with friends or relax?
What off time? Just kidding. Yeah, we have time to relax and stuff. We have the weekends off when we don’t have a meet and one day out of the week off. I’m addicted to the Internet, and I have a few shows I like to watch. So that’s pretty much what I do in my free time. Me and my friends also like to go to the beach, the movies, and dancing sometimes, too.
10. Your major is undeclared. Have you figured out what you want to focus your studies on, and what do you plan to do following college?
Yeah, I don’t really know what I want to do with my life yet. I need to get on that!
