Welcome
To all parents, relatives and friends of gymnasts, I welcome you to our home competition venue and the 2024 Washington Open!
Many years ago, before age group gymnastics existed here, this meet was called the Pacific Northwest Open Invitational where pretty much any gymnast, young or old, (mostly old) could compete against the UW men’s team. Back then in the 1970’s, the UW men’s team was funded by the athletic department and competed in the PAC-8 conference along with Washington State, Oregon, California, Stanford, USC and UCLA. Oregon and Washington were powerhouse programs in the 70’s but all that changed in the 80’s when many men’s gymnastics programs were dropped from their athletic departments. In 1980, when UW dropped the men’s team, six gymnasts and coach Jim Holt kept it going as a self-funded team competing against the remaining University funded programs around the country and Canada. From those humble beginnings and with a lot of hard work from many dedicated gymnasts and supporters, the team has thrived and continues to grow as a self-funded team. The Washington Open has been a major fundraiser for this team and provides vital financial assistance giving hope to many young gymnasts competing here today to continue gymnastics to the collegiate level and someday become part of this team. Nearly all of the team members competed here at some time during their age group years. It is a great opportunity to witness the whole spectrum of gymnastic development. From the young boys competing for the first time to those competing their last year as a UW senior, you can see it all here this weekend.
We, the WMGF Board, are extremely thankful for your involvement and support of this competition and program! We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation here in Washington and are always looking for people with expertise who want to make a difference in this gymnastics community. Please do not hesitate to contact any of the Board members working here at the competition. We want to know about any aspect you like or dislike or if there is anything you would like to help us with. We are thankful to hear from you. As Chief of the Board, I welcome you to this year’s Washington Open and wish you and your gymnasts a healthy and fun competition!
Mark Russo
WMGF Chief