Whitney Crater
  
 
Senior Feature: Whitney Crater

By Zach Burrus, Media Relations Student Assistant

March 6, 2007

If you have seen Whitney Crater perform her floor routine at a gymnastics meet, you know she possesses a style and flair all her own. Her exceptional dancing abilities, unique moves and appealing music selection make for an exciting several minutes for Tiger fans at home meets.

When she steps onto the mat for her routine, Crater says she is a different person.

"I have an alter ego for the floor routine," Crater says. "It reflects my personality. It's really hard if you think about how many people you're performing in front of and what you're doing out there. You're singled out and all eyes are on you. So I put myself in a different place. I can't tell you I remember anything about my floor routine. I think it's my attitude and confidence that are the key."

Crater, a senior from Little Rock, Ark., has achieved this attitude and confidence in her events after being involved with the sport nearly all her life. It was at the age of four when Crater's mom enrolled in her in her first gymnastics lesson. Having begun the sport at such an early age, she has had the opportunity to develop into an excellent gymnast and create the flair with which she dazzles fans today. She also had the chance to meet a number of incredible gymnasts, including 1996 Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden, who used to come to Crater's meets.

Given her talent and abilities as a gymnast, Crater was sought after by a number of Division I recruiters. However, while Mizzou was one of the last places she visited, she quickly recognized it as an ideal fit.

"I chose it because the coaching atmosphere was a lot different from everywhere else. Everywhere else seemed a little forced. The coaching atmosphere here was really friendly. It seemed like a community place. It seemed like the perfect place and the most comfortable fit."

Mizzou's gymnastics program has flourished during Crater's tenure, as has the gifted gymnast. As a sophomore, Crater placed fifth on floor at the Big 12 Championships and went on to help the Tiger squad earn a third-place finish at the NCAA South Central Regional with an impressive 9.800 performance on the floor and a 9.775 showing on vault.

During her junior campaign, Crater proved dominant on both vault and floor. In fact, at the close of the season she tied for 35th on vault and 55th on floor in the national rankings. These rankings came as a complete surprise to Crater, who does not focus on rankings during the season.

"The rankings were a big surprise to me because I didn't follow them throughout the year. It's pretty amazing what you can do when you're not focusing on it."

As a senior on the team Crater has plenty to focus on, including being a leader for the younger girls on the team.

"As seniors I think we have to keep the traditions alive and keep the culture of the team going so we don't fall off. It is important that we know what the common goal is: That it's all about the team. We also have to lead by example and lead vocally."

Along with being a senior come thoughts about life after the team. In addition to the numerous daily workouts that have been key in helping her remain fit, Crater says she will especially miss meet season, which has become her favorite time of the year.

"I can't wait until meet season. It's amazing to see 16-18 girls cheer one girl on and putting all their heart into that one girl. Everyone wants the same thing and that's for her to hit. It's all about the team and not about individual competition."

Crater's mindset is an indication of how much the gymnast loves the team and everyone who has been a part of it. She is very close with her teammates and has a special relationship with each of them.

"I am really close to everyone inside the gym and I have very unique relationships with each girl outside the gym. All of my relationships with the girls have been developed from a different angle. Some of them have been inside of gymnastics and others have developed from someone coming to me because they are having a hard time outside of gymnastics."

As much as she will come to miss her teammates and coaches, Crater is excited at the prospect of entering the professional world. After graduation the senior hopes to use the knowledge and skills she has gained as a communication major to enter the public relations industry.

When she is not contemplating life after graduation or in the gym practicing for the next big meet, Crater can be found reading or writing in one of her many journals. She also possesses an interest in a variety of different musical genres and claims to be an American Idol and DVD fanatic.

All in all, Crater has a flair and style all her own. Her unique gift as a gymnast has made her a household name with many Tiger fans and allowed her to leave an indelible mark on this university's gymnastics program. Yet, while there is no doubt that she is an all-around athlete in the sport of gymnastics, it will be Crater's unique, all-around personality that will allow her to leave a mark similar to the one that she has left at Mizzou wherever life takes her in the future.

 

 

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