Moran flying high after committing to Georgia
Soquel junior commits to 10-time national champion Georgia
Soquel High junior Jacquie Moran was enrolled in gymnastics because she was bouncing off the walls as a child. She started taking classes for toddlers as a 1-year-old and was competing by age 6.
“I had a lot of energy,” she said. “I needed an outlet.”
Thing is, she started finding success in the diversion. And climbing levels.
A Level 10 talent, Moran trained and competed at the Junior Elite level until she was 14. The only level higher is Elite, a prerequisite for those attempting to qualify for the Olympics.
Moran’s goal was to earn a scholarship and compete in college. One could say, she stuck the landing. She verbally committed to compete for 10-time NCAA Division I champion University of Georgia on Dec. 8.
“I’m excited,” said Moran, who trains and competes for San Mateo Gymnastics in Belmont. “I’m not sure we’re going to have a season because of COVID. But next season, I want to cherish my last season of club. I’m so excited for college. I want to be a reliable teammate. I want to get 10s so bad.”
Moran routinely trains 40 hours a week as Level 10 athlete. She previously trained and com
peted for Santa Cruz Gymnastics in Live Oak and Airborne Gymnastics in Santa Clara. In addition to paying for her training, her parents, T. J. and Marcella, and grandfather, Marshall, have been shuttling her to and from her practices.
“I can’t even tell you,” Marcella said of the mileage the family has totaled. “It has been a group effort.”
Their sacrifices made Moran want to reach the next level.
“I try to be grateful every day,” she said. “I wanted to do good for them and get a scholarship. I figured they were spending all this time and money on me, the way I could pay them back was not having them worry about paying for college. They never pressured me.”
Moran is 5-foot- 4 — on the tall side for a gymnast — said she tried soccer for one season as a 6-yearold. She tinkered in other sports and, likely selling herself short, said she’s not good at anything else.
“She was always upside down, doing handstands or flipping around constantly,” Marcella said. “Gymnastics seemed like a natural fit.”
Marcella said she was blown away by her daughter’s competitive spirit and commitment.
“She’s such a fierce competitor,” she said.
Moran likes that the s p or t i nv ol v e s both strength and grace.
“I’ve always loved it,” she said. “The entire thing is about making things look
effortless that are really hard. And you have to be super powerful but try to make it look beautiful at the same time.”
Moran competed in the 2019 Women’s Junior Olympic National Championships in Indianapolis. She won the uneven bars, placed fifth in the allaround and balance beam in the Junior D division.
Earlier in the ‘19 season, Moran won titles in the all-around, bars and floor at the NorCal State Championships, At regionals, she took second all- around, second on bars, and first on beam to advance to the JO National Championships.
In June, College Gym News named her the ranked No. 2 for uncommitted college recruits for the Class of 2022. Moran also had offers from Washington, Michigan, and Minnesota, and was being being recruited by Cal, Stan
ford, UCLA, and Alabama.
“I’m super proud of her,” Marcella said. “The commitment it takes to be nationally ranked is honestly unbelievable. It’s a difficult, time consuming sport. … And she was diligent about taking her time and choosing the best program for her.”
Moran said UCLA was her No. 2 on her list.
Georgia made their offer nearly three months ago. Moran took an unofficial visit to the campus before Thanksgiving and fell in love with the school’s beauty. She plans to major in interior design or business.
The Bulldogs, who compete in the Southeastern Conference, were last crowned national champion in 2009, when they won a fifth straight team title. Current head coach and former Olympic medalist Cour tney Kupets Carter was the star on
four of those championship teams. She won nine individual NCAA titles and was a 15-time All-American. Kupets Carter also won a team silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, in addition to an individual bronze on uneven bars.
“I really love their coaches,” Moran said of Kupets Carter and assistants Josh Overton and Jason Vonk. “Their facilities are amazing. It’s such a different experience. Being in the SEC is such a huge college experience.”
She noted that Georgia’s facilities are a stark contrast to her current amenities.
“The gym I’m at now is a hole in the wall, but a lot of good stuff happens there.”
She’s excited to continue the good stuff in college in two years.