Feb. 25, 2024 - 12:00 p.m. ET
Kentucky International Convention Center - Louisville, Ky.

Makarri Doggette

2019

Makarri Doggette

Hometown:
Pickerington, Ohio

Age:
18

Gym:
Buckeye Gymnastics
Westerville, Ohio

Qualifying Meet:
Pikes Peak Cup

            Bio
2018

Makarri Doggette

Hometown:
Pickerington, Ohio

Age:
17

Gym:
Buckeye Gymnastics
Westerville, Ohio

Qualifying Meet:
CGA Coaches' Spectacular

            Bio

Twitter: @_makarriiii_

Instagram: @_makarriiii_

Do you have a nickname? Karri

When and why did you first become interested in gymnastics? I started classes as soon as I could walk. My mom was a gymnast, so she put all of her girls in classes which eventually translated into team.

Do you have any good/funny memories from when you first started taking gymnastics classes? All I know is that I would always run away and never want to do what the coach told me to do.

When did you decide you wanted to compete? And, when did you want to compete at a high level? What about competition appeals to you? I started competing when I was 6 years old. I think I have always wanted to compete at a high level because I would watch my older sisters compete at high levels and I look up to them. I love competing because I love watching all my hard work pay off while having the most fun.

What is your training regimen? Was that a big change when you made the switch to competitive gymnastics? We practice Monday-Friday from 1:15 to 5pm. It wasn’t too big of a change for me when I was younger because I just loved being in the gym so when I got to be here longer I was happy.

What is your favorite event? Floor

What is your favorite skill? Full-in on floor.

What music do you use for your floor routine? Some of it is from the movie Wolf of Wall Street and some is Angi Cipras old floor music.

Who is your favorite gymnast or who is your “idol”? Laurie Hernandez.

How have you grown as a gymnast during your career, both skill wise and mentally? Skill wise since my first year of level 10 has grown a lot. I have a lot of new upgrades since then on every event. Mentally, I have grown more than anything. My focus and confidence while in the gym and competing has gotten so much stronger.

How has gymnastics helped you as a person? Gymnastics has taught me respect, confidence, teamwork, mental toughness, you name it gymnastics has taught me it. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without this sport.

If you had to select one life-lesson that gymnastics has taught you, what would it be? Everything happens for a reason.

What are your biggest accomplishments or best memories in your career? My biggest accomplishments/ best memories would be winning J.O nationals in 2017 and qualifying for the Nastia Cup five times.

What grade are you in school? I am a junior.

Do you want to compete in collegiate gymnastics? Yes, I am committed to the University of Alabama.

What are your favorite subjects, etc.? English

If you plan to go to college, do you know what you want to study there? Special Ed teaching.

What are your goals for the future, both as an athlete and after you are finished competing? As an athlete my goal is to win the Nastia Liukin Cup but more importantly stay healthy throughout my career. For the future, I would like to be a special education teacher for kids/babies and being in a sturdy place in my life.

When you’re not in the gym, how do you enjoy spending your time? Do you have any hobbies or favorite activities? I like to sleep,relax and have fun with friends.

What is your favorite food? Steak

What is your favorite movie? The Notebook

What is your favorite book? Me before you

What is your favorite music group? New Kids on the Block

Are any of your family members current or former athletes? Which sports? Yes. My mom and sister went WVU on full ride gymnastics scholarships. My dad played football at WVU and in the NFL and my brother plays football, basketball and baseball.

Do you have any competition rituals? Lucky charms? Yes. I have to have my stuffed pandas with me at every meet and I have to visualize all my routines the night before.

What’s on your IPod right now? What type of music do enjoy listening to? How about before a meet when you’re trying to get focused and pumped up? I usually like listening to early 2000s hip hop and R&B but before meets I don’t listen to music I like to visualize.

If you had to pick 3 words to describe yourself as a gymnast, what are they? Powerful, fun, strong.

2017

Makarri Doggette

Hometown:
Pickerington, Ohio

Age:
16

Gym:
Buckeye Gymnastics
Westerville, Ohio

Qualifying Meet:
Circle of Stars

            Bio
2016

Makarri Doggette

Hometown:
Pickerington, Ohio

Age:
15

Gym:
Buckeye Gymnastics
Westerville, Ohio

Qualifying Meet:
Atlanta Crown Invitational

            Bio

Q: Do you have a nickname?
A: Karri

Q: When and why did you first become interested in gymnastics?
A: I started gymnastics as soon as I could walk. My mom and sisters were both gymnasts.

Q: Do you have any good/funny memories from when you first started taking gymnastics classes?
A: I wouldn’t go out on floor without my mom, or I would start crying.

Q: When did you decide you wanted to compete? And, when did you want to compete at a high level? What about competition appeals to you?
A: I started competing when I was 5. I just loved the sport and wanted to keep moving up the levels.

Q: What is your favorite event?
A: Vault

Q: What music do you use for your floor routine?
A: Run Boy Run from the Divergent Soundtrack

Q: Who is your favorite gymnast or who is your “idol”?
A: Shawn Johnson

Q: How has gymnastics helped you as a person?
A: It’s helped me learn respect, responsibility, and confidence.

Q: What are your biggest accomplishments or best memories in your career?
A: Qualifying for the Nastia Cup and scoring and a perfect 10 on vault.

Q: What grade are you in school, and where do you go to school?
A: I’m a freshman at Pickerington High School Central.

Q: Do you want to compete in collegiate gymnastics?
A: Yes

Q: When you’re not in the gym, how do you enjoy spending your time? Do you have any hobbies or favorite activities? Charities? A: I like spending time with my family.

Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Spaghetti

Q: Are any of your family members current or former athletes? Which sports?
A: My mom and sister were both gymnasts.

Q: What’s on your iPod right now? What type of music do enjoy listening to? How about before a meet when you’re trying to get focused and pumped up?
A: Justin Bieber

Q: If you had to pick 3 words to describe yourself as a gymnast, what are they?
A: Powerful, fast and strong

2014

Makarri Doggette

Hometown:
Pickerington, Ohio

Age:
13

Gym:
Buckeye Gymnastics
Westerville, Ohio

Qualifying Meet:
CGA Coaches Spectacular

            Bio

Q: Do you have a nickname?
“Mookie or Mooks.”
NOTE: She competed with the name Sydney Doggette in the 2013 Nastia Liukin Cup

Q: When and why did you first become interested in gymnastics?
“I started when I was two because my two older sisters are gymnasts and my mom was too.”

Q: Do you have any good/funny memories from when you first started taking gymnastics classes?
“I wouldn’t do the musical warm ups they used to do in preschool classes. I would sit on my mom’s lap until the circuit started and then I would start.”

Q: When did you decide you wanted to compete? And, when did you want to compete on the elite level? What about competition appeals to you?
“I knew I wanted to compete when I made the team when I was 5-years-old. Then, when I was 10, I qualified for the U.S. Challenge doing HOPES, and I wanted to focus on elite. I enjoy performing in front of people and competing with my teammates.”

Q: What is your training regimen? Was that a big change when you made the switch to competitive gymnastics?
“I work out five times a week for three-and-a-half hours per day. I don’t really know of any changes since I was only five when I started competing. It’s just always been my life.”

Q: What is your favorite event?
“Both floor exercise and vault; I can’t really choose between those two.”

Q: What is your favorite skill?
“On the vault, it is my one and a half. On floor, it is my full-in.”

Q: What music do you use for your floor routine?
“‘Drumline.'”

Q: Who is your favorite gymnast or who is your “idol”? “Gabby Douglas and my older sister Brooklyn, who is an amazing gymnast who got a full ride to West Virginia University!”

Q: How have you grown as a gymnast during your career, both skill wise and mentally?
“I have grown in many ways. Learning new, more difficult skills is both fun and exciting, but it is also more challenging mentally.”

Q: How has gymnastics helped you as a person?
“It has made me so strong both physically and mentally. It has also made me a very hard-worker with a lot of dedication.”

Q: If you had to select one life-lesson that gymnastics has taught you, what would it be?
“How to be determined, to go after what I want.”

Q: What are your biggest accomplishments or best memories in your career?
“I have a few: qualifying to the U.S. Challenge three times; making the TOPs National Team; being a two-time Nastia Liukin Cup qualifier; and getting a 9.925 on vault!”

Q: Do you want to compete in collegiate gymnastics?
“Yes!!!”

Q: What are your favorite subjects in school?
“Science and history.”

Q: If you plan to go to college, do you know what you want to study there?
“I’m not really sure what I want to study.”

Q: What are your goals for the future, both as an athlete and after you are finished competing?
“To get a full-ride (scholarship) to college for gymnastics, but also to have a fun, fulfilling life with a great family.”

Q: When you’re not in the gym, how do you enjoy spending your time? Do you have any hobbies or favorite activities?
“I enjoy shopping, listening to music, watching movies and spending time with my family and friends.”

Q: What is your favorite food?
“Spaghetti.”

Q: What is your favorite movie?
“‘Pitch Perfect.'”

Q: What is your favorite book?
“Both the Gabby Douglas books.”

Q: Who is your favorite musician?
“Justin Bieber.”

Q: Are any of your family members current or former athletes? Which sports?
“My dad played college and professional football, and my mom was a gymnast, who also got a full-ride to West Virginia University.”

Q: Do you have any competition rituals? Lucky charms?
“My lucky charms are my panda bears named ‘Miracle’ and ‘Papa Por.’ My ritual is to eat spaghetti the night before a meet and wearing my panda socks to the meet.”

Q: What’s on your iPod right now? What type of music do you enjoy listening to? How about before a meet when you’re trying to get focused and pumped up?
“Justin Bieber and really anything that has a lot of energy helps me get pumped and ready to go.”

Q: If you had to pick three words to describe yourself as a gymnast, what are they?
“Powerful, strong and quick.”

Q: What three words describe you as a person, not the gymnast?
“Nice, giving and friendly.”

2013

Makarri Doggette

Hometown:
Pickerington, Ohio

Age:
12

Gym:
Buckeye Gymnastics
Westerville, Ohio

Qualifying Meet:
Circle of Stars

            Bio

By Erica Rath

Sydney is a sixth grader from Pickerington, Ohio. As a 12-year-old, she has been participating in gymnastics her entire life.

Being an athlete comes naturally for Sydney. Her mother and father were both Division I athletes, competing in gymnastics and football at West Virginia University. Sydney started gymnastics as a toddler because her older sister was competing. She has ambitions of becoming an international elite, having competed in the Hopes division at the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic, where she won the vault title, and to make it to Level 10 Junior Olympic Nationals. Sydney won the Level 9 Region V all-around and floor titles in 2012.

Sydney is currently a member of Buckeye Gymnastics Club, where she trains under coach Kittia Carpenter. Carpenter says Sydney is a “powerful, dynamic and confident performer.” Encouraging her teammates and being part of a team is the best thing about competing, Sydney said. In fact, she idolizes 2012 Olympic all-around gold medalist and former Nastia Liukin Cup competitor Gabrielle Douglas because of her outward confidence and her success as a teammate.

Sydney and her teammates train for about six hours a day. She loves to perform on vault because it comes naturally to her.

Sydney has one brother and two sisters, each competing in their chosen sport. She enjoys horseback riding and taking care of her horse. Her favorite subject in school is history, and she enjoys reading, as well.

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