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JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS WINS CLEAN SWEEP AT HARVESTFEST HELD AT DELTA GYMNASTICS, WEST MEMPHIS, NOVEMBER 10 - 11!!!
JACKSONVILLE USAG JUNIOR OLYMPIC TEAM WINS FIRST-PLACE TROPHIES AWARDED AT MEET -
PLUS MANY FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD-PLACE ALL-AROUND INDIVIDUAL HONORS!!!
Names on Pictures Later!!!!
JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS TEAM ATTENDS ITS FIRST MEET
The Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Team from Huff ‘n Puff kicked off its competitive season when the team competed Friday night and all day Saturday in West Memphis at the Delta Gymnastics home gym. Ten teams from Arkansas and Mississippi participated in the meet. For the third year in a row, the Jacksonville Team brought home each of the first-place trophies awarded at the meet. The Jacksonville Gymnastics team is one of the largest competitive teams in the state. The gymnasts, who train at Huff 'n Puff gym and compete with the Jacksonville Gymnastics Team, are from all over central Arkansas - Searcy to Bryant and Alexander, to Maumelle, North Little Rock, Sherwood and, of course, Jacksonville, and other cities inbetween.
In the sport of women’s gymnastics, four events are competed: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Gymnasts compete according to their level of achievement and each level is then broken down into age groups. Each gymnast is awarded a score of up to ten points for each of the four events. The four individual events are then totaled for each gymnast for a score of up to forty points. The total score of the four events determines the All-Around honors and they are then awarded to each gymnast in each of the different age brackets. Each gymnast is called to the awards stand five times at each meet – once for each of the four events and the fifth time is for the All-Around award. At most meets, especially for the lower levels with younger gymnasts, the host gym will place out to as many gymnasts as are in the particular age, so all gymnasts receive ribbons for the individual events and trophies or medals for the higher placements. Each child feels special and is awarded for her hard work and hours spent training in the gym. Gymnasts at Jacksonville Gymnastics train from four to fifteen hours a week.
For team honors, the top three or top five scores of the entire Level (all ages) are added together for each of the four events. The four events are then totaled for the team score, which in turn determines the team standings.
THE FACES SAY IT ALL - FOR NOW!!!
JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS LEVEL THREE TEAM
COMPETES FIRST TIME IN A MEET AND WINS BIG!
The Level Three gymnasts of Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Team competed Friday night at the West Memphis meet. These gymnasts began training Level Three skills in early summer and have now competed in their first meet. The gymnasts, ages six to ten, won many top honors for their efforts. Shown here front row, from left to right, are Miranda Chambers, Hali Wilder, Regan Campbell, Kayla Gregory, Kayla McGee and Sydney Hughes. Back row, left to right, Coach Christy Ellis, Katy Gorden, Lakyn Powers, Victoria Maness, Sarah Seibel, Sara Heil, Sarah Beavers, Mattie Taylor, Sierra Rohauer, Briyana Isaac, Lainey Necessary and Coach Stacy Howerton.
Sixteen members of the nineteen-member Level Three team competed against gymnasts from two other gyms Friday night. No team trophy was awarded at this meet for the Level Three teams but Jacksonville Level Three gymnasts won 36 first, second and third-place individual-event awards, in addition to ten top individual All-Around awards.
The following top All-Around honors were awarded to Jacksonville Level Three gymnasts:
Age Six: Miranda Chambers, first; Lakyn Powers, second; and Mattie Taylor, third.
Age Seven: Sierra Rohauer, first; Sarah Beavers, second; and Regan Campbell, third.
Age Eight: Kayla McGee, first.
Age Nine: Katy Gorden, first; and Briyana Isaac, third.
Age Ten: Victoria Maness, second.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four Team members get competitive season off to a good start with 41 individual top event placements and twelve top individual All-Around honors. Shown here front row (left to right) are Alex Taylor, Savannah Wade, Hannah Taylor, Maggie Lee, Alli Shaw, Jordan Rogers, Jadyn Perkins, and Kaylen Perkins. Second row, left to right, Sabrina Barger, Madi Spears, Sydney McGill, Rachel Flippen and Erin Skelton. Back row, left to right, Lauren Anderson, Nidhi Gandi, Katie Trujillo, Katherine Taylor, Jessica Gardner, Tonie Butler, Lynzie VanBrocklin and Kennedy Driskell.
Fifty-seven gymnasts competed in the Level Four meet held Saturday noon. The twenty-one members of the twenty-two member Jacksonville Level Four team won the First-Place Trophy. They also won 41 first, second and third-place individual event honors and 12 top All-Around awards. Winning top placements for individual All-Around awards were the following Jacksonville Level Four team members:
Age Seven: Tonie Butler, first; Jordan Rogers, second; and Sydney McGill, third.
Age Eight: Lynzie VanBrocklin, first; and Madi Spears, third.
Age Nine: Hannah Taylor, first; Rachel Flippen, second; and Alex Taylor, third.
Age Ten: Savannah Wade, first; and Sabrina Barger, second.
Age Eleven: Kennedy Driskill, first.
Age Twelve: Nidhi Gandi, first.
Level Five Team members of Jacksonville Gymnastics proudly display their First-Place Team Trophy and their brand-new leotards. Shown here from left to right, standing on floor level are Amanda Hicks, Allison Storeygard, Bailea Jones, Tiffany Maxwell and Marisa Grissom. Standing on the podium, from left to right, are Stephanie Singleton, Kendra Lytch, Taylor Butler, Carol Walters, Madison Winstead and Mackenzie Ellis.
Eleven gymnasts of the thirteen-member Level Five team competed Saturday evening and also won the First-Place Team Trophy. The team also won twenty-seven top-event awards and six top All-Around awards. The Jacksonville Level Five gymnasts winning top individual awards were:
Age Eight: Mackenzie Ellis, first; and Taylor Butler, second.
Age Nine: Kendra Lytch, first.
Age Twelve: Stephanie Singleton, first.
Ages Thirteen & Fourteen: Carol Walters, (14) first; and Madison Winstead, (13) second.
Six of the Level Six Team Members competed against gymnasts from seven other teams Saturday morning and won the First-Place Team trophy. The gymnasts from left to right are Kelsy Founds, Tori Spears, Samantha Sobba, Kimberly Edwards, Jessica McDonough and Caitlyn Dillon.
The Levels Six, Seven and Eight Team gymnasts competed in the early Saturday morning session. Six members of the eight-member Level Six Team competed and won the First-Place Team trophy. They also won twenty-one individual top-event awards and six individual top All-Around awards. Winning top awards were:
Age Ten: Samantha Sobba, first.
Age Eleven: Kimberly Edwards, first.
Age Twelve: Tori Spears, first; Kelsy Founds, second.
Age Thirteen: Caitlyn Dillon, first.
The Level Seven Team members won the First-Place Team trophy after competing their new optional routines on floor exercise, bars and beam. The new floor exercise routines are choreographed to exciting and/or beautiful music of the gymnast’s choice. Shown here smiling proudly from left to right are Mackenzie Powers; Missy Whittecar; Haley Edgin, Tori Hanley, Allyson Ferren, April Pitts, Samantha Gray and Krista Carlisle. This team is an example of the central Arkansas cities represented by the Jacksonville team – Sherwood, Bryant, Alexander, Beebe, Searcy (two gymnasts), Maumelle and Jacksonville.
The eight members of the Jacksonville Level Seven Team also won the First-Place Team trophy. They won thirty-one first, second and third individual event awards in addition to eight top individual All-Around awards. The Jacksonville gymnasts winning top awards for Level Seven were: Haley Edgin, age nine, first; Mackenzie Powers, age ten, first; Samantha Gray, age eleven, first; Tori Hanley, age twelve, first and Alyson Ferren, age twelve, third; April Pitts, age thirteen, second; Krista Carlisle, age fourteen, first; and Missy Whittecar, age fifteen, first.
Four of the six Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Eight gymnasts are shown here after competing at the West Memphis meet. The skills competed by the gymnasts at this level are very difficult and only a small percentage of gymnasts compete Level Eight and above. There were no other Level Eight gymnasts at this meet, so no team awards were given. Watching their exciting routines, especially floor routines, was the highlight of the session.
Shown here from left to right are Sissy Ghormley, Courtney Ellis, Taylor Rai Johnson and Kayla Edgin.
Four members of the six-member Jacksonville Level Eight Team competed in the meet – no other teams competed level eight gymnasts. The four gymnasts qualified for the State Meet in this first meet. The four Level Eight gymnasts who competed were: Courtney Ellis, age eleven; Kayla Edgin, age thirteen; Taylor Rai Johnson, age twelve, but competing as thirteen; and Sissy Ghormley, age fourteen. The other Level Eight gymnasts are Kelsey Lerner and Sarah McAlister.
Jacksonville Levels Three and Four team members will compete next Friday and Saturday at Sheridan. The team will not compete again then until after Thanksgiving and the Christmas parades. The entire team will compete next at the Pepsi Challenge, a very large meet hosted by Hot Springs Gymnastics at Ouachita Baptist University at Arkadelphia. The team will also compete this season in a Shreveport and Oklahoma meet, in addition to several other Arkansas locations. In February, the team will also host its own annual Sweetheart Invitational Meet in Jacksonville. This is a large meet with an estimated 700 gymnasts expected to compete.
HAPPY COACHES COULD NOT HIDE THEIR PRIDE -
AND FOR GOOD REASON - CLEAN SWEEP OF MEET!!!
Jacksonville Gymnastics coaches work very hard all year round to prepare the gymnasts to compete at the different levels. They are training nearly eighty gymnasts each week, who work at different levels and different skills, and each with different personalities and physical abilities. Shown here front row left, Stacy Howerton and Lois Bryan. On the back row are Christy Ellis, Laurel Spears (Head Coach) and Erin Wunderl (Assistant Head Coach). The Jacksonville Gymnastics team is one of the largest teams in the state and has been quite successful. The Jacksonville Level Six Team won the 2006 State Championship last March.
THANKS PARENTS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!!!
THANKS TEAM GYMNASTS FOR GIVING IT YOUR ALL!!!
WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU - NOT JUST BECAUSE YOU WON, BUT BECAUSE YOU PROUDLY REPRESENTED JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS TEAM AND YOUR COACHES!!!
Note: Some of the information may be duplicated as I used the press release and the photo captions for the papers in this article.
OTHER PHOTOS AT THE MEET
Level Three Gymnasts - Before the Meet - Cool, Calm and Collected!
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And three Level Threes - Proud as Punch after the Meet!!!
Level Seven Gymnasts Stretching to Prepare for Meet