Corey Hartung

5'3" Freshman

Irwin, PA

 

Freshman Corey Hartung is ready to change her competitive focus from self to team. Hartung, well-known for her dance and flexibility, is one of the newest Gator gymnasts and hopes she can contribute to the team.

 

“At club level, you are only worried about yourself, winning for yourself and competing for yourself,” Hartung said.  “But here at Florida, it is about doing it for the whole team, everyone succeeding.”

 

Hartung's artistic abilities will be especially evident on beam and floor.

 

“The ballet moves and flexibility drew me to the floor and beam exercises,” she said.  “I’m flexible, so I really like to dance and show it off.”

 

Hartung began gymnastics in 1994 at age 7.  She trained at Kasamon Gymnastics in Pennsylvania through 2000, reaching Elite level at age 13.  In September of 2000, she joined Hill’s Gymnastics in Gaithersburg, MD, leaving her family behind in Pennsylvania.

 

At Hill’s, a facility known for training gymnasts on the Elite and Olympic levels, Hartung studied under Kelli Hill, who had coached Olympians Dominique Dawes and Elise Ray and former Gator standout Erinn Dooley.  Hill helped Hartung hone her skills and accomplish her longtime goal of qualifying for the U.S. National Team in 2003.  She did this by finishing 15th at the U.S. Classics and 18th at the 2003 U.S. Championships.

 

“Being a member of the national team was a great experience because you know that you are one of the top 18 in the country,” she said.  “Being able to compete with the best in the nation and around the world was challenging but an amazing experience.”

UF signed Hartung to a gymnastics scholarship in November of 2004 and team gymnastics has been on her mind since.

 

“The girls are nice; it is a great team at Florida,” she said.  “The coaches are outstanding and the weather and campus are beautiful.”

 

Many adults work 40 hours a week, which is the amount of time Hartung put in under her club gymnastics training regime. She realized it was in her best interest at the time to train so much.

 

“It takes a lot of practice and training to be good at gymnastics,” she said.  “You have four events to perfect, and you constantly have to work on your strength and conditioning.”

 

Nevertheless, she is enjoying her new program at UF, with the gymnasts putting in much less training time.

 

“Now we work together more as a team and cheer for each other,” Hartung said.  “It’s nice.  Practice is a little shorter too, but it is more fun and relaxing.

 

Go Gators!!