DATE: Sunday, June 29, 1997                 TAG: 9706270237

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   79 lines

NATIONAL ELITE OCEAN TUMBLERS COMPETING IN U.S. CHALLENGE

IT IS TYPICAL for athletes striving to reach the top to dedicate a good portion of their lives to making their goals a reality.

But for a trio of girls at Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics School, working to be the best has taken the better part of their young lives.

For Dana Filetti, Stephanie Edney and Erin Pendleton, gymnastics is just about all they've ever known.

The three recently met the standard needed to become national elite gymnasts - one step away from international elite, the level from where Olympians are selected.

Filetti of Chesapeake has been involved in gymnastics nearly 10 of her 12 years. Virginia Beach's Edney, 12, has also been in the sport almost 10 years.

For Chesapeake's Pendleton, it is only slightly different. At 15, nearly two thirds of her life has revolved around gymnastics.

And it hasn't been easy for any of them.

During a season that runs from December through July, the three meet five days a week for about 29 hours of practices that have them go through thousands of repetitions of each and every move.

Then there are meets - many of them involving travel - on weekends.

``It's been a really long year for them,'' said coach Erin Berry King. ``They started in December as Level 10s in the Junior Olympic program. They'll finish out the year as national elites and begin training for international next year.''

The three are competing this weekend in the U.S. Challenge, where they will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Gymnastics Festival at the end of July. Pendleton will need a top-four finish in the all-around competition in her age group, while Filetti and Edney might only have to finish in the top six depending on how many competitors there are.

Then they will hit summer training mode, a more relaxed time when the focus is on strength and flexibility rather than performing certain tricks and routines.

King says it will be a nice break.

``It's a relief to have made elite,'' said Filetti, a rising eighth-grader at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in Suffolk. ``Sometimes, you don't know if you can do it or not.''

With each rise through the many levels of gymnastics, the challenges become greater. That's where the repetition comes in. But only those with a bit of natural ability make it. It helps to have the right attitude.

``I felt pretty confident all along,'' said Edney, a rising seventh-grader at Great Neck Middle School in Virginia Beach.

To make Elite, the two younger gymnasts had to meet a four-event score of 33.5 at one of two Zone meets. Both easily passed the needed mark.

Because her age group is considered more difficult, Pendleton needed a score of 33.4. As with her teammates, she easily qualified.

``I was pretty happy with making it, especially on Father's Day,'' said Pendleton, a rising Hickory High sophomore who won the Southeastern District meet last year and twice tied what was at the time the state all-around total.

With International Elite clearly in sight, Pendleton said she doesn't see herself participating in school gymnastics anymore. Edney and Filetti don't have to worry about the choice, as neither of their schools offers gymnastics.

``I'm just going to concentrate on that now,'' Pendleton said of the international status. ``I've been shooting for this for almost 10 years.

``I'm just glad I got to this point for now, because I had a fall on beam.''

While falls on beam are normal, don't expect these two to fall off their lofty perch on the gymnastics ladder. The peak has almost been reached.

``This is an exciting time for us,'' King said. ``Everything's coming together for them. And they're all very driven kids, they have to be to go through the hours and hours of basic abilities.

``We've gone real slow with them, especially the young ones, to bring them along just right.

``Now they're where they can see the accomplishments of all their hard work.''

And it only took the better part of a lifetime. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LEE TOLLIVER

From left, Stephanie Edney, Erin Pendleton and Dana Filetti meet

five days a week for about 29 hours of practices at Ocean Tumblers

Gymnastics School. They spend weekends traveling and competing in

meets.

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