As if ?normal? college life was not enough, imagine playing a collegiate sport, being involved in ROTC, and feeling as if you have accomplished everything you set out to do. Jolane Parr, a senior on the women?s gymnastics team believes these things have helped shape her future.

“I have accomplished everything I want to. I am ready to move on,” Parr said. “Sac State has prepared me for my journey.”

Coach Kim Hughes believes that over her four years with the team, Parr has developed as an athlete.

“She?s progressed immensely in gymnastics, developing the skills it takes to be a team leader and team competitor,” Hughes said. “She has developed as an athlete.”

Parr, in her fourth year with the gymnastics team wants to finish her career with the team making Regionals. In order for this to happen, the team must average a team score of 193.

“We went two years ago, we were just glad we made it. We want to compete with Stanford, Washington, and Oregon State,” Parr said. “If we don?t make Regionals as a team, I can make it individually. But, my consistency on floor needs to improve. We want to make it as a team though.”

Her involvement in gymnastics dates clear back to when she was just six months old, and her mom would take her to the gym while she coached.

“She would coach, and I would play around,” Parr said.

Ever since then, her mom has been involved and her number one supporter.

“My mom is my biggest supporter. She comes to most of our meets, she is the best,” Parr said. “She does a lot for me, and she always thinks that I deserve a 10. I am very competitive, and I think I got my competitive nature from her.”

Parr?s collegiate future did not begin at Sac State though. She started college at Air Force Academy, a school with an attendance of roughly 4,000 students.

In order for Parr to gain acceptance into the Air Force Academy, she had to do an array of things to gain admission. She had to pass a bio and fitness test to get in, as well as be very active in high school.

In high school, Parr was involved in many sports as well as volunteering, dance team and orchestra. In the end, she had to be chosen by an elected official in her area. Senator Bob Packwood chose Parr.

“There (Air Force) it was military life 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Parr said.

“They would break you down, then rebuild you. It was too much.”

While at Air Force, Parr competed in Track & Field. While involved with track, Parr placed 11th in the triple jump and 15th in the long jump at the WAC meet.

“In high school I was really good,” Parr said. “I could have been really good if I put the practice in.”

After a year at Air Force, Parr decided to transfer to Sac State, partly because it had the same environment as her home, and because of the programs the school had to offer.”I chose Sac State because they had ROTC, gymnastics, and track,” Parr said.

Throughout her four years with the gymnastics program, Parr has developed into a team leader and motivator.

“She possesses the development of not just being a participant, but being involved as a team leader,” Hughes said. “Gymnastics is very difficult, and she shows how to make gymnastics fun.”

Parr likes the fact that she is involved with gymnastics, but at the same time she can stay active in other aspects of college life.

“I love the gymnastics team,” she said. “The coaches are great, and they let you do the college stuff also.”

Throughout her four years, Parr has improved, and she continues to break her career marks that she had set. This year she has recorded a 9.9 on floor exercise, breaking her career mark of 9.850 set during her sophomore year.

“It was exciting, my music skipped, but I was able to keep with it and score high,” she said.This year Parr will focus on two routines, the bars and the floor exercise, and she will strive to break her previous career marks.

“She did a lot of work this summer to get ready for this year,” Hughes said. “She has a lot of drive and personal motivation.”

The gymnastics team is one of the most exciting and competitive teams at Sac State, and Parr believes that the team is able to excel because of its good chemistry.

“I think we are a close team, we support each other,” she said. “We will go out and hang out together. In the gym we are competitive in order to push each other.”

The gymnastics team is one of the only sports that are not able to practice on campus. The players must go to classes in the mornings so they can participate in practice during the afternoons.

“It?s really hard for us. We have to start early,” Parr said. “We practice every afternoon, and that does not even include weight training. It?s long hours, I think of it as a job. I?m getting paid to do something I love.”

This year Parr is a co-captain, a responsibility that takes on so much more than just competing.

“There is so much self-motivation involved in gymnastics, and she sparks that,” Hughes said. “She is so talented in gymnastics.”

At 22 years of age, Parr is the oldest member of the team and knows the responsibilities that come along with being co-captain.

“Kim has helped me a lot. I used to get frustrated,” she said. “But being a captain you can?t show your emotions. You have to swallow it and go with it.”

Teammate and co-captain Jami Scoville believes that Parr has done a lot for the team in her four years.

“She is one of the most talented athletes I?ve ever met. She has been one of those forces that has helped the team,” Scoville said. “Jo and I have gotten along really well. She is a fun person.”

Graduation will soon be upon Parr, ending her career in gymnastics. After graduation, Parr will be a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force, but she has not decided what she would like to do when her time is completed in the Air Force.

“I have a four year commitment with the Air Force. After that I don?t know,” she said. “I have time to think about it. I might want to get into teaching gymnastics.”

Whatever Parr decides to do, she will be prepared and ready to take on anything. Jolane Parr has learned many things at Sac State, but she is known for her competitive skills in gymnastics.

Once a competitor, always a competitor.