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Athlete update

Dann adds to the Turners' tradition at Illinois

By NANCY MORGAN
Published January 30, 2005

Margaret Dann first learned how to do a cartwheel in her backyard when she was 3.

"I fell in love with gymnastics then and have never stopped loving it," said Dann, 22. "I've grown up with it, and it's actually taught me more than gymnastics. I've learned responsibility, dedication and how to work hard," she said.

The former Tampa Bay Turners member from St. Petersburg is a senior co-captain at Illinois with roommate Kara Kapernekas. Dann sees her role as a mentor for the younger gymnasts. Recruited in 2001, the two-

"I was really excited about the possibilities of competing on a Division I team and really loved the idea of a gymnastics squad being a strong team sport where teammates were always there for you," Dann said.

"Knowing girls I had trained with at Tampa Bay Turners - Gina (Weichmann), Marci (Sommerville) and Jana (Gallagher) - went to Illinois influenced me.

"Illinois has a good reputation in gymnastics and is a great academic institution, so it was an easy choice for me," Dann said.

For Dann to make the transition, she had to get used to new coaches after being trained by the Turners' Mary Linnemeyer and Brad Harris.

Dann made an immediate impact for the Fighting Illini.

"We had a pretty young team my first year, so I was able to step in and compete," she said.

"I competed on vault, balance beam and floor exercise my freshman year. My sophomore year, I had an ankle injury that limited me to competing on the beam."

Dann's success resulted in her receiving the team's Most Consistent Beam Award last season. She hit all 13 of her routines as the leadoff gymnast. She scored 9.8 or better five times, with a season-high 9.825 in the Big Ten Championships.

"I like going first, so being the leadoff is good for me," Dann said. "At each meet, a team competes six gymnasts. You always want your best to go at the end, but you want to start off with someone in the leadoff that's solid and consistent.

"Judges don't always like to give real high scores in the beginning of the competition, but I just try to hit my routines and not worry about the scoring."

Last week, Dann captured second on beam with a 9.7 performance, helping No. 25 Illinois win the Cardinal Classic. The squad was to open at home Saturday against 12th-ranked Denver.

"We advanced to region competition last year, the first time in five years, and I want us to go even further this year," Dann said.

"We didn't lose any gymnasts that competed last year and, with the freshmen we have, we could do just that," she said. "It will be a challenge."

MORE GYMNASTICS: Emily Earle (St. Petersburg) is a junior at Illinois and competes on the uneven bars. Junior Jodie Heinicka (Seminole) returned from ACL rehab to finish among the top six vaulters for No. 28 Missouri in a victory over Centenary.

Junior Terin Martinjak (Clearwater) was second in the floor exercise, helping LSU defeat Florida.

BASKETBALL: Sophomore guard Jen Hansen (Seminole) scored nine points for Army in a 64-50 win over rival Navy. In 18 games, Hansen leads the squad with an 11.5 average.

Natalie Wilkinson (Clearwater) is tri-captain for her senior season at Southern Wesleyan. She's expected to play all the guard positions and add experience and stability. Reque Newsome (Dixie Hollins/Central Florida CC) has become the University of Southern Indiana's starting center. In a 61-60 win over No. 5 Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Newsome recorded eight rebounds and six points.

Jainaba Phillips (Lakewood) produced seven points for Florida A&M in a 76-57 win over Morgan State. The freshman plays forward and center. Josh Postorino (Clearwater/Dayton) begins his second season as assistant coach at Marshall University in West Virginia. The 26-year-old previously worked at Dayton and Clemson. FOOTBALL: D'Qwell Jackson (Seminole) was named a first-team All-American by College Football News.com, to the second team by Rival.com and honorable mention by Pro Football Weekly. The Maryland junior middle linebacker was the ACC leader in tackles (123) this season.

SWIMMING: Clemson junior Jordan Raynovich (Northeast) took third in the 200 individual medley with a 1:51.66 performance, helping the Tigers finish second in the Nike Cup. As a sophomore, Raynovich moved into seventh in school history with a career best 1:51.32 in the 200 IM.

Georgia's Robert Margolis (Clearwater) won the 200 freestyle and 200 IM against Alabama. In a team win over Tennessee, the senior topped the 500 free and 200 breaststroke competition and was second in the 200 IM.

Heather Jennings (Lakewood) recorded a victory for Randolph-Macon Woman's College in the 500 free against the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, 200 free relay versus Greensboro College and 200 free relay and 1,000 free against Guilford. DIVING: In second-ranked Auburn's win over No. 3 Florida, senior Rachel Korth (St. Petersburg Catholic) won the 1-meter competition with a personal-best 279.60 score.

WRESTLING: Keith Spataro (Seminole/San Francisco State) enters his fifth season as head coach at Menlo College in California. He started the program in 2001 and led it to an NAIA runner-up finish last year.

BASEBALL: Right-handed pitcher Frank Gross (Indian Rocks Christian) is among 13 signees at Trinity International University in Illinois. In the fall season, he posted a 3-0 record.

[Last modified January 30, 2005, 00:10:19]