Tanella, Breazeal, Couch, Worley Sign With Gymdogs.

It's official. Shayla's a Gymdog. I'm also excited about Tanella signing with them too, because she could bring a lot to NCAA competition.

(ATHENS, Ga. – Christa Tanella, Kati Breazeal, Noel Couch and Shayla Worley have signed national letters of intent to compete for the Georgia gymnastics team, according to an announcement Wednesday by Gym Dogs head coach Suzanne Yoculan and associate head coach Jay Clark.

Tanella, Breazeal, Couch and Worley will make up the first freshman class for Clark, who will succeed Yoculan as Georgia’s head coach for the 2010 season.

“We all are thrilled with this class,” Yoculan said. “These young women will be a great addition to the program. I can’t imagine a better class of freshmen coming in for Jay’s first year. This class has a little bit of everything in terms of gymnastics, but the young women also have great character. They understand the tradition of Georgia gymnastics, and they will be great stewards of it. We are excited that they are going to be a part of that tradition and that they will be starting their own.”

Tanella, a native of Plano, Texas, trains at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy under Valeri Liukin and Natalya Marakova. Tanella qualified for the United States Championships the last three years. Known for her exquisite lines and perfect form, Tanella took first on bars at the United States Classic. At this year’s Metroplex Challenge, Tanella won the all-around title as she swept the four events.

“Christa’s gymnastics is very strong,” Clark said. “She’s unlike anyone in collegiate gymnastics right now. She’s an outstanding addition in the all-around and will help us right away. She has great character and is a natural leader.”

Breazeal, who hails from Frisco, Texas, is a teammate of Tanella’s at WOGA where she is coached by Laurie Dix and Yevgeny Marchenko. Breazeal has reached the Junior Olympic Nationals four times, including 2007 when she took first in the all-around and floor. At the 2008 Texas state championship, she won on beam.

“Kati is another one of the WOGA gymnasts with clean lines and strong performances,” Clark said. “She’s a brilliant student, and she will provide a real boost to our program. She’s also best friends with Christa, so their chemistry and camaraderie will be evident right away.”

Couch will arrive in Athens from Boonton, N.J., where she trains at North Stars Academy. She was the Level 10 Nationals beam champion and has appeared as an exhibition performer in the 2008 Tour of Superstars.

“Noel is a powerful athlete,” Clark said. “The first thing you notice about Noel is her power and her explosiveness. There’s not a skill she can’t do, and she’s especially strong in vaulting and tumbling.”

Worley, who is a native of St. Cloud, Fla., trains at Orlando Metro Gymnastics and is coached by Jeff Wood and Christi Barineau. Worley participated this past summer at the Olympic Trials and Selection Camp. Her accomplishments include finishing third at the 2008 American Cup on bars and claiming silver in the all-around and on bars at the United States Nationals. Worley also was a member of the 2007 U.S. team that won the World Championship in Germany.

“Shayla has a lot of experience internationally, and that experience is going to mean an awful lot to us,” Clark said. “She’s got that star quality you look for. She’s got that ‘it’ factor. She’s very good in what she does and the way she goes about her business.”)

I'm so excited to see everyone compete in NCAA! Go Dogs!