Shelbie Harris
Staff Writer
Samantha Lange and her competitive jump rope team, Flight Crew, have taken the sport of jumping rope far beyond the playgrounds and the physical education classes it’s most remembered for.
Flight Crew’s brand is unique and intense, with a team consisting of seven men and three women and members ranging from eight different states, their performances are packed full of synchronized acrobatics, speedy rhythmic movements, and precision accuracy.
In late August, Lange and Flight Crew found themselves competing for $1 million and a show in Las Vegas as part of the 2014 season of NBC’s hit-show, “America’s Got Talent.”
Flight Crew auditioned in New York City and made it to the semifinals before being eliminated on the top-rated show.
“It was so much fun, I loved it,” Lange said. “I am so glad I got to be a part of it. Being on camera and watching yourself in that position is something you’ll never think you’ll get to experience. To get such and opportunity is just unbelievable.”
Flight Crew made it to the quarterfinals where they faced only one other competitor, however the final decision resulted in the other group being voted to continue the completion.
After first being so close to moving on and then believing they had been sent home empty-handed, a surprise twist involved the team being brought back onto the show as part of a wild-card round in which judge Heidi Klum was so impressed by the group she nominated them to return.
Lange said jumping at Radio City Music Hall with over ten million people watching her was a very crazy experience.
Unfortunately, the group did not win the competition and were eliminated on Aug. 26, the night of the semifinals.
“I was so excited to come back. I first left the competition not giving up hope because our first routine was flawless,” Lange said.
Lange, a 24-year-old student enrolled in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program at the ISU-Meridian campus, has been jumping rope for the past 19 years, since she was in first grade.
Her passion for jump roping began in elementary school with an after school jump rope club that was led by her physical education instructor, someone she thought very highly of.
“I absolutely loved her. I thought she was so much fun, so I decided ‘I guess I’ll go to jump rope club on Monday,’” Lange said. “So I went, and I never stopped going.”
Before joining the national jump squad Flight Crew, Lange jumped for a non-competitive school team throughout grade school and then joined the award-winning competitive team Summerwind Skippers.
“I wanted to take my jumping to the next level, so I started attending practice in Boise with the Summerwind Skippers,” said Lange. “I started in middle school but the team goes from elementary students up to people who have already graduated college,” she continued.
Although her focus is now primarily on her academic pursuits, Lange has found the time to help coach the Summerwind Skippers this year and is glad to hold onto such an important facet of her life, at least to some extent.
“Jump rope is something that has been the biggest thing in my life, I’ve gotten to travel everywhere, I’ve gotten to compete and meet new people and have had some of the best experiences in my life from it,” Lange said. “To be able to show people that jump rope can be taken to this level is extremely rewarding.”
