All parking places in Stonewall Square Shopping Center were filled Thursday, May 26th when Huff ‘n Puff held its annual gymnastics skills meet. Over 170 gymnasts, some as young as two years old, participated in this program which is held each year to show just how much the gymnasts have accomplished during the year – and what a year it has been for accomplishments for both the competitive and recreational programs.
The show that was led by fifteen gymnastics instructors, featured three areas of the gymnastics program for both boys and girls: the preschoolers, the recreational gymnasts and the Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team, boys Levels Four and Five; girls Levels Four and Five; and girls Levels Six, Seven and Eight. The competitive gymnasts were at the Skills Meet to present a program to show the younger gymnasts just what can be accomplished with a little bit of hard work and dedication.
At least 30 preschoolers, ages two to five, delighted the audience of parents, grandparents and friends by showing off their skills that had been developed at such a young age. Some of the preschoolers began at a very early age and have been learning gymnastics for nearly three years. Others were fairly new at the sport. They performed forward rolls, backward rolls, a few cartwheels, short routines on the beams, pull-ups onto the bar and forward rolls off the bars onto the floor, and running vaults onto the Resi-mat-–just like the big gymnasts--with just a little assistance. Medals and certificates were handed out to all recreational gymnasts at the end of their programs. The preschool gymnasts who participated were: Sylvie Armstrong, Madelyn Beaulieu, Mia Bovenzie, Cheyanne Boyd, Case Bratton, Amber Cadie, Claire Caldwell, Gideon Cox, Chloe Ezell, Blake Frerich, Maggie Grappe, Dena Hallum, Bayley Herring, Regan Hodson, Emma Hook, Aubrey Lee, Lauren Lester, Cassidy Marshall, Aley Mayden, Anna Grace Miller, Kamryn Runyon, Kacie Smith, Sarah Toland, Jacob Trujillo, Lexi Urquhart, Wesley Wade, Caragen Williams, Lily Wilson and Sarah Wyatt.
In the second half of the program, after the show by the competitive gymnasts, 100 of the recreational gymnasts showed their skills on all four events: bars, beam, vault and floor. At Huff ‘n Puff, recreational gymnasts are placed into levels, after they have been evaluated for their skills. The levels are: Pre-level One, Level One, Level Two and Preteam Level Three. This was the largest skills meet to be held at Huff ‘n Puff and the credit goes to the recreational staff and head recreational instructor, Bobby Churches. This is also one of the largest number of gymnasts to be promoted to higher levels since the opening of the gymnastics program. Twenty-four gymnasts were elevated to competitive Level Four and twenty-four gymnasts were elevated to Preteam Level Three. Jacksonville Gymnastics will begin competing Level Three gymnasts at competitive meets this season. Ms. Laurel Spears, Mr. Bobby Churches and Ms. Stacy Howerton will be the coaches for the Level Three gymnasts. Other gymnasts will be promoted to Level Two and Level One as the summer progresses.
The recreational gymnasts, Pre-Level One, Level One and Level Two who participated were: Amber Bajorek, Anna Beaver, Taylor Brayley, Kolby Browning, Kinley Burrows, Kaleigh Bryne, Regan Campbell, Alyssa Carter, Miranda Chambers, Elizabeth Clark, Skye Crockett, Jasmine DeBose, Blair Eubanks, Lauren Foster, Sarah Grace Foster, Mackenzie Garrison, Lori Gray, Kayla Gregory, Emma Guiberson, Lucy Guiberson, Sara Heil, Abigaile Houghtaling, Sydney Hughes, Dakota Jackson, Kira Jinkins, Ashley Jones, Krysten Koppel, Stephanie Koppel, Siiri Lentz, Hannah Lovercheck, Kelse Matthews, Rachel Perser, Kristen Peterson, Erin Powell, Caitlin Raymond, Kendall Redwood, Chloe Risher, Sarah Seibel, Lauren Shillcutt, Sarah Shillcutt, Savannah Shockey, Jennifer Stephens, Ebony Stevens, Allison Stuff, Amy Threat, Megan Threat, Rachel Vire, Savannah Wale, Emily Walker and Shelby Weaver.
The gymnasts who have been promoted and who will be competing at Preteam Level Three are: Lauren Anderson, Alexandria Daniel, Lyndsey Dillard, Kennedy Driskell, Jessica Gardner, Abby Grappe, Samantha Herring, Olivia Hodson, Briyana Isaac, Madison Faith Johnson, Maggie Lee, Emily Lovercheck, Sydney McGill, Hayley Paddock, Emilee Perry, Madison Raeke, Kimmie Raymond, Jordan Rogers, Allison Shaw, Alexus Smith, Magenta Smith, Sydney Spillane, Anja Tech, Samantha Wade and Katie Wilson. Many of these students began gymnastics less than a year ago.
Gymnasts, who had been elevated to Competitive Level Four who also participated in the Skills Meet were: Sabrina Barger, Emily Burgan, Ashton Bussard, Kaitlin Deaton, Breanna Edwards, Rachel Flippen, Ashley Harmon, Hayley Henley, Stevie Hughes, Janey’a Hutton, Terionna Stewart, Alex Taylor, Hannah Taylor, Katherine Taylor, Katie Trujillo, Lynzie Van Brocklin, Savannah Wade and Lexi Webb. Other newly promoted Level Four gymnasts who were unable to attend were: Jessica Bormann, Kimberly Edwards, Taylor Green, Darby Lottner, Kaylen Perkins and Natalie Ruiz-Castillo.
The middle of the program showcased the Jacksonville Competitive Gymnastics teams, starting with the boys, Levels Four and Five. The boys, as young as six years old, did such skills as round-off back handsprings. Michael York, who just turned ten, performed a front handspring, a front tuck and a round-off back handspring back tuck. Performing next were some of the Level Four and Five gymnasts from the girls competitive team. The audience was amazed as the two six-year-old Level Four gymnasts, Mackenzie Ellis and Madi Spears, completed a roundoff and four back handsprings in a row across the gym floor. The other Level Four and Five gymnasts showed off their skills of front and back walkovers, front and back handsprings, and back tucks. The Level Six, Seven, and Eight gymnasts performed back and front handsprings, with tucks and layouts and fulls, all difficult skills, but all skills that the rest of the gymnasts each aspire to be able to some day perform.
Future gymnastics star, three and a half-year-old Chloe Ezell is shown here performing her beam routine in the Huff ‘n Puff Gymnastics Skill Meet. Chloe, who began taking gymnastics at age 13 months in a Mommy and Me Class, has now been taking gymnastics for two and a half years. Chloe was assisted in her beam turn by Taylor Canfield.