Flashes Add Five During Early Signing Period
11/16/2018 1:38:00 PM | Gymnastics
Flashes Add Five During Early Signing Period
Kent State Gymnastics announced addition of five student-athletes — Karlie Franz, Olivia Amodei, Rachel Decavitch, Taylor Wentland and Jackie Harker — to the 2019 signing class.
"This is a group that since about two years ago we have been really anxious to get here," said Head Coach Brice Biggin. "We feel like there is a lot of strength in their numbers. They have some really solid events that they do, and none of them really have a weak event which is good. It is going to bring in a ton of depth and some good routines for us. I think they are going to be one of those confident freshman groups which you have to have at our level."
Franz joins the Flashes from Marysville, Michigan where she trained at Hunts Gymnastics Academy. At the end of her high school career, Franz will have completed five years of level ten. In those five years, she has qualified for regionals in all five and competed at the national level in 2017. Along the way, she has tallied 22 first-place finishes in her high school career.
Amodei also trained at Hunts Gymnastics academy where she was coached by Shannon Hunt. She is from Clinton Township, Michigan. This year, Amodei was a Junior National Championship Qualifier where she finished 14th AA and ninth on the floor. She finished third AA and second on the floor at the Region 5 Regional Championship and third place AA at the Michigan State Championship. She was also the Ice Invite Challenge All-Around Champion.
Decavitch is a Warren, Ohio native and was trained by Joan Ganim, Jared Nun and Caroline Nun at Gymnastics World of Ohio. DeCavitch is a two-time Junior Olympic national championship qualifier. This year, she finished third on the bars and floor at the Ohio State Championships. In 2017, she was the All-Around Champion at Circle of Stars Invitational and Rock-n-Roll Classic.
Wetland finished second AA and third on the beam this year at the Indiana State Championships. She also finished seventh on vault and seventh on beam at the Region 5 Regional Championship this year.
Harker was trained by Tani Blount at Youngstown Gymnastics Center. She finished third on the floor at the Ohio State meet and took third place on beam at the Region 5 Regional Championships.
