Roberts, Tun sign for Division I gymnastics

photo Jaquie Tun
photo Macey Roberts

Two Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga teammates were part of celebrations at their high schools Wednesday for signing scholarships to major universities.

Chattanooga Christian's Jaquie Tun is headed to West Virginia. Ooltewah's Macey Roberts is going to Maryland.

Both had Kentucky among their other options, but both ultimately went with schools that had been keeping up with them since they were sophomores.

Tun, a Brainerd resident who has attended CCS since kindergarten, has been in gymnastics since the age of 3. Her strongest events are the uneven parallel bars and the balance beam, while Roberts excels most on the vault and floor exercise, where strength is more of a factor -- even though she stands only 5-foot-1, a half-inch taller than Tun.

"Macey is super strong," Gymnastics Center coach Emily Byrd said. "Jaquie is a true all-around gymnast, but she won a (Level 10) national title on bars in 2012. She's extremely graceful.

"For both of them, gymnastics is a year-round sport. They practice 20 hours-plus a week. That level of dedication requires a special person, and both of them are."

School officials backed that up for both.

In Tun's case, for instance, CCS high school principal Forrest Walker said, "She is a tremendous student and has high respect from the faculty. We're so proud of her. This is well-deserved all around -- in the classroom and in her character and integrity."

"Kentucky offered (a scholarship), and UCLA offered a walk-on spot," Tun said. "I looked at Ohio State, too. But West Virginia was really loyal through the whole process, and the coaches are really fun to be with. I visited there last month and got to hang out with the gymnasts. They're a fun group."

Roberts made unofficial visits to Kentucky and Maryland as a 10th-grader and "fell in love" with the latter.

"They offered verbally, and I committed then," she said.

But she also talked to Utah, Arkansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Auburn and Ohio State before finalizing her decision.

Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.

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