Young Canfield gymnast wins honors at state and regional events

Jessica Jones, 12, has a goal to someday compete with the best of the best at the Elite Level of gymnastics.

By JOHN KOVACH

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

CANFIELD — Thanks to Jessica Jones’ early start in her gymnastics career, plus her athletic ability, dedication and focus on improving, the 12-year-old from Canfield appears to be on her way to a bright future in the sport.

“Jessica trains more than 20 hours a week and maintains straight A’s in school. She is the most focused and dedicated gymnast I have ever worked with. Her work ethic is amazing for a young athlete,” said coach Sandy Sabo of her young and talented protege, who has made giant strides in her gymnastics career this year.

Training with Sabo at the Youngstown Gymnastics Center for the past nine years, Jones won both state and regional USA Gymnastics Level 9 all-around championships this year, and also moved closer to qualifying for an Elite classification.

Jones, a seventh-grade student at Canfield Middle School, won the uneven bars and balance beam events en route to winning the all-around title at the state meet in March to qualify for the regional meet in Muncie, Ind.

Then in the Muncie regional in April, Jones won uneven bars (9.5), placed second in vaulting and floor exercise and third on balance beam to win all-around (37.35).

And just last week, Jones passed her Elite compulsory routine at a USA Gymnastics-sanctioned camp in Virginia Beach, Va., to set the stage for taking her Elite optional-routine test next spring which, if passed, would make her an Elite.

Sabo said that Jones, who will advance to Level 10 next year while also hopefully competing in some Elite events, got any early start in gymnastics and has improved steadily.

“Jessica started gymnastics at age three in a pre-school class at Youngstown Gymnastics Center. She started her serious training at age 7,” said Sabo, noting that Jessica has progressed through participation in the USA Gymnastics Tops Program.

“Jessica participated in the USA Gymnastics Tops program since she was 7 year old. The Tops Program stands for ‘Talent Opportunity Program Selection.’ Jessica was very successful in this program for gymnasts ages 7-11 and she qualified to National Testing and National Training camps several times over those years. “

Sabo said there are 10 levels for gymnasts in their particular age groups.

“After level 10 is the Elite level …international travel the ones you see on TV,” said Sabo. “At level 10 they decide if they will try the elite or take it to college level.”

Sabo said Jessica is shooting for Elite.

“Jessica’s goal is to compete with the best of the best some day soon at the Elite Level,” said Sabo, noting that Jones achieved a 35.5 score combined for the four events at the recent camp to pass her Elite compulsory routine.

As a result, “If she passes [her optional routine] she will compete in some Elite [events] next year. She will go to other camps this summer to prepare for optional testing.”

Jessica’s father, Rich Jones, said that his daughter found something that she liked in gymnastics at an early age, and just stuck with it and tried to get better at it.

“She never was really exposed to anything else. She’s never participated in any sport since gymnastics. She has never competed in any other sports since she was 3 or 4, so this is her sport,” said Rich.

“She started training 23-26 hours a week about three years ago, and that’s when it really took off. When she started training like that, that became her sport.”

Rich said that Jessica has developed into a competitor always looking to improve.

“She is learning how to compete and that makes it fun for her, and she likes to see how well she can do see,” said Rich, crediting Jessica’s ability to concentrate for a lot of her success.

“The main thing is her focus on it. She has pretty good athletic ability but mentally she is pretty good on it. She loves it, there is no question about that. That’s what helps her to focus.”

kovach@vindy.com