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CONGRATULATIONS, KELSEY LERNER!!!!!

WEBCAM?  CELL PHONE, ANYWAY!! 

THIS PHOTO WAS SENT ENROUTE HOME FROM COACH LAUREL'S CELL PHONE. 

KELSEY, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU.   KELSEY COMPETED SUNDAY IN THE REGIONAL USAG JUNIOR OLYMPIC COMPETITION HELD IN WICHITA, KANSAS.   SEVEN STATES MAKE UP THE REGION IN WHICH ARKANSAS COMPETES - THEY ARE TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, COLORADO, NEBRASKA, KANSAS AND OF COURSE, ARKANSAS.  KELSEY SCORED A 37.325 ALL-AROUND AND SHE PLACED TENTH OUT OF 46 LEVEL EIGHT GYMNASTS.  ONLY THE BEST GYMNASTS MAKE IT TO REGIONALS AND THIS REGION IS A VERY TOUGH REGION AS WE KNOW WHEN WE COMPETE AGAINST THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA TEAMS.  KELSEY, WE ALL ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU!!!!  YOU REPRESENTED JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS, THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE AND THE STATE OF ARKANSAS SO WELL - YOU CAME THROUGH WITH FLYING COLORS.!!!

Press Release                                                                                                 April 11, 2006

PORTRAIT OF A CHAMPION

Kelsey Lerner, fourteen-year-old Level Eight gymnast from Jacksonville Gymnastics competed in the Regional Three USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Gymnastic Meet this weekend, held in Wichita, Kansas.   Kelsey competed against 46 other fourteen-year-old Level Eight gymnasts from the seven-state region.  Only the best Level Eight gymnasts are chosen to compete in the regional competitions and Kelsey was one of four fourteen-year-old gymnasts representing Arkansas.   The seven states represented in the Region Three Division of USA Gymnastics are Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas.

 Kelsey proudly represented her team (Jacksonville Gymnasts from Huff ‘n Puff), the City of Jacksonville and the State, as well, in this Regional Competition.  She scored an all-around of 37.325 and placed tenth in the all-around competition.  She not only medaled in the All-Around but she also placed third on the vault with a score of 9.625 and also medaled on the beam.

Kelsey started in gymnastics at the young age of three and has been at Jacksonville Gymnastics for six years, joining there in the team’s second year of competition.   Kelsey also placed second in the State Meet held recently.  Kelsey has also taken dance at Huff ‘n Puff and has been a Jacksonville junior high cheerleader and is now a Red Devil high school cheerleader.   Kelsey is an excellent athlete and has spent as many as fourteen to sixteen hours a week in the gym, working on her skills.  She is well known in the state for the height she attains with her tumbling skills and for her muscular stature achieved through her training.  In tumbling, she can throw multiple back handsprings, as well as tucks, layouts and fulls with ease.  On the beam, Kelsey not only performs back handsprings, switch leaps and straddle jumps, but she competes a back tuck on the beam, as well.  She does giants and Hechts on the bars and does a pike suk on the vault.  All of the skills are difficult and not all gymnasts at her level can attain these skills.  Kelsey not only has the physical ability but she has the talent and tenacity to achieve even more difficult skills in gymnastics.

Head Team Coach Laurel Spears has coached Kelsey since her arrival at the gym six years ago and she has also been coached by Assistant Head Team Coach/Beam Coach Erin Wunderl and Coach Stacy Howerton for the past several years.

Jacksonville Gymnastics Team has many talented gymnasts and the coaches look forward to many more regional competitions as the gymnasts attain more difficult skills.

Kelsey Lerner, Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Eight Team Member, shown here in her Regional Three competition attire after she had successfully competed in the Regional Three USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Meet held this past weekend in Wichita, Kansas.  Kelsey had an all-around score of 37.325 and placed tenth out of 46 Level Eight fourteen-year-old gymnasts from the seven-state region.

Kelsey Lerner is shown here relaxing as she traveled with her family and coaches to  Wichita, Kansas.  Kelsey competed in the Region Three Competitive Gymnastics meet on Sunday.  

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