Carly Patterson Invitational a success

2004 Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Carly Patterson poses for a picture with Neil Diamond impersonator Theron "Black Diamond" Denson at the 2005 Carly Patterson Big Dog Invitational held in December at Riverside High School. Patterson was on hand to watch the competition and Denson sang the national anthem before Sunday's competition began.

By Paige Lavender
Riverside High School

Maverick Gymnastics Club was very busy the weekend of Dec. 9-11 when it hosted the Carly Patterson Big Dog Invitational at Riverside High School. Maverick, owned and run by Billy Bob Taylor, hosted approximately 500 gymnasts from West Virginia and surrounding states for the weekend competition.

Patterson, the 2004 Olympic All-Around Gold Medalist, was a special guest at the meet. Extremely gracious and friendly, she spent most of her time watching the competitors and cheering for them. Occasionally, a group of young girls would approach her for autographs and photos, and she gladly provided her signature or pose for a snapshot. She also gave pep talks to competitors before the start of each session.

Patterson was not the only special guest, though. Theron Denson, also known as Black Diamond (a Neil Diamond impersonator), sang the national anthem on Sunday, and a representative for Governor Joe Manchin was on hand to make Patterson an honorary Mountaineer.

All of the competitors did their best during the regular competition, but only the top performers made it to the finals on Sunday. This included several gymnasts from Maverick, like Woodrow Wilson High School senior Chelsi Tabor who qualified for vault with a regular competition score of 9.625. (She finished with a 9.1 in the finals.)

The Boosters Club of Maverick Gymnastics, along with parent, student and gymnast volunteers, worked hard to make the 2005 Carly Patterson Big Dog Invitational a success. Patterson has already agreed to come back and host next year's event. Maverick hopes she will do so for years to come.

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