Antolin Places 11th, Misses U.S. Team

There will be surgery on her ankle and then packing for UCLA.

Jeanette Antolin, the Huntington Beach gymnast, finished the Olympic trials in 11th place. It wasn’t what she wanted, not after last year when she had been one of the six women on the U.S. world championship team. But Antolin was proud.

“I made it here and I made it through all my routines,” said Antolin, an 18-year-old Marina High graduate. “I haven’t been able to train the way I wanted and that really cost me here. But I couldn’t be happier about who made the team. My best friend made it.”

Antolin was speaking of Jamie Dantzscher. Antolin, new Olympic team members Dantzscher and Kristen Maloney and alternate Alyssa Beckerman will all be UCLA freshmen this year.

“I’m sharing a suite with Jamie and I told her I’d get things ready for her,” Antolin said. “If I couldn’t make it, I’m glad my UCLA teammates did.”

Antolin hurt her ankle in practice a month ago. Bone chips were discovered when Antolin injured it again at the U.S. championships two weeks ago. Instead of withdrawing from the Olympic trials, Antolin decided she wanted to give this her best effort.

“I think I did that,” she said. “Now I’m done with the national team. I’m going to college and I’m starting a new life. I’m looking forward to competing for UCLA and looking forward to lots of new stuff.”

Antolin’s coach at SCATS in Huntington Beach, Don Peters, said what Antolin did was special.

“She was in a lot of pain and it got worse as this week progressed,” Peters said. “But she went out [Sunday] and stuck two vault landings. That was gutsy and it made me proud. She’ll go to UCLA and have a great career.”