Marie Annonson

Marie Annonson
— Gymnast —
Country represented	United States
Born	(1984-10-08) October 8, 1984
Hometown	Antelope, California
Discipline	Acrobatic gymnastics
Level	Senior International
Gym	West Coast Training Center (owner)

Marie Annonson is a retired elite acrobatic gymnast who is currently owner and head coach at the acrobatic gymnastics facility West Coast Training Center (WCTC) in Livermore, California.^[1]

Athletic career

During her acrobatic gymnastics career, Annonson competed nationally and internationally as the base of a women’s pair with top Brittany Horrell on California Acrosports Team (CATs) in Sacramento, California with her coach Tonya Case.^[2]

In April 2000, Annonson and Horrell took fifth place in the junior division of the Flanders Acro Trophy in Deinze, Belgium.^[3]

At the 2001 Azur Acro Cup in Antibes, France during April, Annonson and Horrell placed third all-around (49.150).^[4]

In 2002, they competed at the Machuga Cup in Krasnodar, Russia, winning the silver medal right under the reigning Russian world champions. Later on that year, they won the gold at the Winterthur Cup sports acrobatics competition in Winterthur, Switzerland.

The women's pair participated in the first Sports Acrobatics World Age Group Games during November 2001 in Zielona Góra, Poland, where they placed eighth in the all-around.^[5]

The pair won the all-around title at the 2002 U.S. National Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana,^[6] also winning the 2002 Best Choreography Award for their notable "doll routine".

They also competed at the 2002 Sports Acrobatic World Age Group Games in Riesa, Germany,^[7] where they placed sixth in the preliminary round.^[8]

Coaching career

Annonson retired from competition and began coaching in 2003.

Among the athletes she has coached are Kristin Allen and Michael Rodrigues, who won the mixed-pair all-around gold medal at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the first ever gold medal won for the United States in acrobatic gymnastics at a World Games event.^[9] In 2010, Annonson also coached Allen and Rodrigues to win the mixed-pair all-around gold medal at the 2010 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Wroclaw, Poland, the second gold medal ever won for the USA in acrobatics at a World Championships.

WCTC athletes includes the 2011 U.S. mixed-pairs champions, Cassie Lim and Brian Kincher.^[10] Lim and Kincher also won the mixed-pair gold in the all-around at the 2011 Flanders International Acro Cup in Puurs, Belgium.^[11]

In 2009, 2010 and 2011, Annonson was named Coach of the Year by USA Gymnastics.^[12]

The members of the 2011 U.S Acrobatic Gymnastics National Team members who trained at WCTC include U.S. Junior National Mixed Pair Champions Ani Smith and Jake Kanavel and the junior women's group of Haley Douglas, Samantha Mihalic and Nicole Potepa.^[13] In 2008, 10 out of 20 athletes attending the World Age Group Championships from the USA were from WCTC. In 2010, eight of the 14 members of the U.S. Senior National Acrobatics Gymnastics Team trained at WCTC.^[14] Members of the 2010 U.S. junior national team that trained at WCTC include Smith, Kanavel, and the women’s group of Cassandra Lim, Alyssa Gardner and Katie Slater.^[15] At the 2012 World Championships in Florida, Marie attended as the official Head Coach for the USA Delegation. In 2014, she had 8 National Team members on the USA World Age Group delegation and 2 National Team members on the World Championship delegation.

Within each program at USA Gymnastics, the federation recognizes coaches that have received the highest level of coaching distinction. This title is called the Master of Sport. Marie was added to this honorary list in 2014. Along with that recognition, her athletes Kristin Allen and Michael Rodrigues where also inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.

Marie Annonson also currently serves as Elite Committee Chair on the USA Gymnastics Acrobatic Program Committee.

References