By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Last month, Gymnaworld’s Jenna Jones competed in the Out of This World Invitational.
Jones’ routine on the balance beam was just that – out of this world. Now it’s become famous around the world.
Jones, a Level 10 gymnast for the Noblesville-based Gymnaworld, became an Internet star after the website FloGymnastics.com posted her beam performance on its Facebook page. Since it was posted in January, Jones’ performance has been viewed over 36,000 times.
“I think it’s pretty amazing,” said Jones. “I was thinking about how many people have viewed it, and what it would be like to do a beam routine in front of them. That’s pretty cool.”
Jones’ grandfather Terry Jones posted video of the beam routine on YouTube the day after the Out of This World Invitational, which took place Jan. 6 at the Ivy Tech Community Center in Noblesville. The one minute, 20 second performance is a remarkable show of poise and grace.
Jones mounts the beam by slowly pulling herself up into a handstand, then quickly flips herself around to stand on the beam. Jones then shows off a couple graceful dance elements before doing a double backflip, landing perfectly each time.
As the crowd cheers her on, Jones follows that up with a couple leaps, a ballet-like pirouette, and a couple “moonwalk” steps, confidently moving backwards on the beam. Then it’s time for the grand finale: A forward flip, turn, and a double backward somersault for the dismount. She lands that one perfectly, too.
When the routine is finished, Jones is mobbed by her teammates, and is then embraced by her longtime coach, Gymnaworld owner Monti Edwards.
“She’s been in gymnastics for 14 years,” said Edwards. “She started with me at age 4. Now here she is a senior in high school.”
Jones received a score of 9.50 for her beam routine. “I think it’s actually the highest I’ve ever gotten on beam,” she said.
“It was really neat because pretty much my whole family came to watch that meet,” said Jones.
It was the finish of a perfect day for Jones, who won the all-around championship in addition to all four individual events: Floor exercise, vault, uneven bars and beam.
“Bars went a little rough before that beam routine, so I just wanted to hit that beam routine for myself to prove that I could do it, because I know how hard I’ve been working,” said Jones.
There is a little bit of irony that Jones has become famous for such a great show on the beam. Jones, who is the daughter of Jessica and Mike Jones of Elwood, was featured in an article in the Elwood Call-Leader five years ago when she was selected to dance in the opening ceremonies at a gymnastics tour that was taking place at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The tour featured the “Fierce Five,” the gold-medal winning group of Team USA gymnasts that had performed a year before at the London Olympics.
Jones, then 13, told Call-Leader sports editor Ed Hamilton that although her favorite event was the uneven bars, she liked all the events, “except for the balance beam. Why? Well, you have to be so precise, and even if you get just a little bit off (balance), you’re gonna fall,” she said in the article.
Now 18, Jones is a veteran of Level 10 competition, the highest level of the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Development Program before the Elite level. Elite gymnasts compete nationally and internationally.
As a Level 10 gymnast, Jones regularly competes in national events; in fact, the weekend after the Out of This World meet, she participated in the beam event at a tournament in Las Vegas. Her score of 9.35 was good enough for second place in a field that featured competitors from 25 other states and Canada.
Jones will be competing this weekend in the Magical Classic event in Orlando, Fla., where Edwards said “there’s usually between three and five other countries there besides the United States.”
So, Jones will be seeing some international competition in the next few days. Has she been overseas yet.
“No, not yet,” said Edwards. “That’s a big goal of ours. Something we aspire to.”
Jones is home schooling, but is interested in college gymnastics, “either this year or next,” said Edwards. On the horizon this year are the Level 9 and 10 regionals, which take place April 12-15 in Battle Creek, Mich., and the Level 10 nationals, which are set for May 10-13 in Cincinnati.
“She does have a chance,” said Edwards. “She’s competing a new balance beam, new uneven bars and new vault. New floor. All with greater difficulty. Four newly upgraded routines.”
Link to Jones’ routine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBDuSB1R0hs&t=4s
Gymnaworld’s Jenna Jones became a Facebook sensation after her balance beam routine at the Out of This World Invitational, which Gymnaworld hosted Jan. 6 at the Ivy Tech Community Center in Noblesville. Jones’ routine was posted on the FloGymnastics.com Facebook page and has gotten over 36,000 views. (Photo provided)