Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the fall so far. I can't believe November is already here. My name is Talia Tossone and I am a freshman this year and I absolutely love it. The nerves that come with being in a new environment and meeting new people are long gone. The team has adapted well. With six freshmen this year it was a bit of a shock, but we have all blended well.

Our team is lead by three amazing seniors. Marissa who is always ready to help you with your gymnastics in any way she can. I don't know what I would do without Ferg. There are days I walk into the gym overwhelmed and she is always there with a kind word and a smile telling me everything will be just fine. Then there's Colon. Duke tells me all the time that I am a younger version of her. I guess that's why we get along so well. She is the first person I turn to when I am afraid of something. She knows what to say because she has been through all of the same things before. We couldn't have asked for three better leaders for such a young team. And I can forget the juniors and sophomores who have made our lives as freshmen so much easier. Trust me, it is greatly appreciated!

Boot camp finally ended a few weeks ago and everyone is feeling stronger and less sore. With our intrasquad just around the corner, everyone is starting to buckle down and get focused in the gym. We are expecting big things this year. We have a strong, consistent team, great coaches and an overwhelming amount of support from other students and athletes around campus. Our first intrasquad, which is actually closed to the public, is on Friday, November 17. This allows us to show our routines to judges and get some feedback from them as to what we need to work on and what looks good. There is such a positive energy in the gym right now and everyone is throwing big skills. We have all 10.0 start values on vault, bar sets packed with release moves and big dismounts, consistent beam sets with a handful of double back dismounts and floor routines with huge tumbling.

We are all ready for the season to start and the chance to really show everyone what we have this year. Our second intrasquad will be sometime in early December and open to the public, so keep checking for the official date and we hope to see you soon!

Take care and best wishes,

Talia