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Nola Matthews
Full nameNola Rhianne Matthews
Nickname(s)Nols
Country represented United States
Born (2006-09-20) September 20, 2006 (age 17)
San Jose, California
Residence Gilroy, California
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International Elite
Years on national team2022–present ( USA)
ClubAirborne Gymnastics Training Center
College team UCLA Bruins (2026–2029)
Head coach(es)Cleo Washington
Assistant coach(es)Tonya Piacente, Melissa Metcalf, Melanie Ruggiero
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Medellín Team
Gold medal – first place 2023 Medellín Uneven bars

Nola Rhianne Matthews (born September 20, 2006) [1] is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2023 Pan American uneven bars champion.

Early life

Matthews was born on September 20, 2006, in San Jose, California to physician parents Drs. Kari Bertrand (ob-gyn) and AJ Matthews (plastic surgery). Bertrand was a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier and an All-American runner for Georgetown University. [2] Matthews began gymnastics when she was two years old. [3]

Junior gymnastics career

2017–18

Matthews competed at the 2017 Hopes Classic and finished fifteenth with an all-around score of 44.500, meaning she was 0.500 away from qualifying for the Hopes Championships. [4] She finished forty-first in the all-around at the 2018 Hopes Classic and did not qualify for the Hopes Championships. [5] She then competed with her club at the Tournoi International in Combs-la-Ville, France. She won the silver medal in the espoir all-around behind Levi Jung-Ruivivar. She won the gold medals on the uneven bars and balance beam in the event finals. [6]

2019

Matthews began competing in junior elite in 2019. She made her elite debut at the American Classic where she finished ninth in the all-around and placed third on the uneven bars. [7] Then at the U.S. Classic, she finished twenty-second in the all-around and qualified for the U.S. Championships. [8] She then finished twenty-first in the all-around at the U.S. Championships. [9] She went to the Tournoi International again with her club, and she finished fifth in the all-around. She finished sixth on vault and floor exercise, and she won the gold medal on the uneven bars. [10]

2021

Matthews did not compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. She returned to competition at the 2021 Winter Cup, and she finished fifth in the all-around and won the silver medal on the uneven bars behind Levi Jung-Ruivivar. [11] Then at the American Classic, she finished ninth in the all-around. [12] She did not compete floor exercise at the U.S. Classic, and she finished seventeenth on vault, eleventh on uneven bars, and tenth on balance beam. [13] She then finished thirteenth in the all-around at the U.S. National Championships. [14]

Senior gymnastics career

2022

Matthews became age-eligible for senior competition in 2022. She made her senior debut at the Winter Cup and finished fifth in the all-around and won the gold on uneven bars. [15] She then made her senior international debut at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge and won a gold medal with the American team. She won the bronze medal in the uneven bars final behind Giorgia Villa and Romi Brown. [16] Then at the U.S. Classic, she finished sixth in the all-around and won silver on the uneven bars behind Shilese Jones. [17] She finished thirteenth in the all-around at the U.S. Championships and fourth on the uneven bars. [18]

2023

Matthews won the all-around bronze medal at the Winter Cup behind Lexi Zeiss and Ashlee Sullivan. [19] She then competed at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge alongside Zoe Miller, Joscelyn Roberson, and Ashlee Sullivan, and they won the team gold medal. [20] In April, she was named to the team to compete at the Pan American Championships alongside Tiana Sumanasekera, Zoe Miller, Addison Fatta, Joscelyn Roberson, and traveling replacement athlete Madray Johnson. [21] She won the gold medal on the uneven bars and finished fourth in the all-around. [22] The team then won the gold medal in the team final. [23]

Competitive history

Year Event Team AA VT UB BB FX
Espoir
2017 Hopes Classic 15 14 10 13 15
2018 Hopes Classic 41 20 44 5 11
Tournoi International 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Junior
2019 American Classic 9 24 11 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 15
U.S. Classic 22 30 24 7 26
U.S. Championships 21 29 17 14 22
Tournoi International 5 6 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6
2021 Winter Cup 5 12 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 9 9
American Classic 9 13 12 4 9
U.S. Classic 17 11 10
U.S. Championships 13 9 6 10 13
Senior
2022 Winter Cup 5 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 9
DTB Pokal Team Challenge 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
U.S. Classic 6 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 4 8
U.S. Championships 13 4 19 16
2023 Winter Cup 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 6 4
DTB Pokal Team Challenge 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Pan American Championships 1st place, gold medalist(s) 4 1st place, gold medalist(s)
U.S. Classic 4 4 6 5
U.S. National Championships 12 10 13 10
2024 Winter Cup 12 19 14 5
DTB Pokal Mixed Cup 1st place, gold medalist(s)

References

  1. ^ "Nola Matthews". USA Gymnastics. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Lee, Emanuel (April 5, 2023). "Gymnast Nola Matthews competes at elite level". Gilroy Dispatch. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Sandmaier, Christy (June 21, 2022). "Rising Star Nola Matthews Readies for the Road Ahead". Inside Gymnastics Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "35 advance to Hopes Championships". USA Gymnastics. July 10, 2017. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  5. ^ "American Classic Hopes Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. July 6, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  6. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (November 17, 2018). "2018 Tournoi International Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "2019 Hopes & American Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. June 22, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  8. ^ "2019 GK U.S. Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. July 20, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  9. ^ "2019 U.S. Championships - Women Day 2 Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. August 11, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  10. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (November 19, 2019). "2019 Tournoi International Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  11. ^ "2021 Winter Cup - Women Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. February 28, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "2021 Hopes & American Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. April 24, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  13. ^ "2021 GK U.S. Classic Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  14. ^ "2021 U.S. Championships - Women Day 2 Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. June 6, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  15. ^ "2022 Winter Cup - Women Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. February 26, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  16. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (March 20, 2022). "2022 DTB Pokal Team Challenge Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  17. ^ "2022 U.S. Classic - Women Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. July 30, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  18. ^ "2022 U.S. Championships - Women Day 2 Meet Results" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. August 21, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  19. ^ Bregman, Scott (February 25, 2023). "Lexi Zeiss claims women's all-around crown at the 2023 Winter Cup". Olympic Channel. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  20. ^ Crumlish, John (March 19, 2023). "U.S., Germany and Japan sweep team titles at DTB Pokal". International Gymnast Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  21. ^ "Women's senior team named for 2023 Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  22. ^ "U.S. women shine at Pan Ams with eight medals; Sumanasekera wins all-around". USA Gymnastics. May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  23. ^ "U.S. claims men's and women's team titles at Pan American Championships". USA Gymnastics. May 28, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.