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Courtney Ellis, age twelve, competed her first year at Level Eight last year, and like most gymnasts, is now in her second year at Level Eight.  It is very difficult to compete Level Eight only one year and move successfully to Level Nine.  Most gymnasts stay at Level Eight for several years.

·        Courtney started Gymnastics at age five in Sept 2000

·        She did recreational gym and  Pre-team 2001-2002

·        She started Level Four at age seven - 2002-2003

·       Courtney competed Level Five in 2003-2004 and won Individual All-Around State Championship for her age bracket, age eight

·        Courtney joined Jax Gym in spring, 2004, at age nine, and competed Level Six 2004 – 2005 season, winning Individual All-Around State Championship for Level Six 

·   Courtney competed Level Seven 2005 – 2006 and won Level Seven State Championship, age ten

·        Courtney competed Level Eight 2006 – 2007; she not only won State Championship, age eleven, she also qualified to go to Regionals in Texas and finished 21^st out of 40 girls.

·       Courtney is competing Level Eight as a twelve-year-old and competing even more difficult skills than last season.

·        Courtney  has been a great student and been able to balance school work as well as working out 16 hours a week while maintaining all A's.  She has been a straight A student from Kindergarten - Sixth Grade. She is in all Pre-AP classes and first  nine weeks, earned all  A's. She received President’s Awards in Fifth grade for being one of four students to receive all A's. In Third grade she won First Place in her school for participating in a Reflections contest (poetry, art or photography) and was able to attend the district-wide contest where she received an honorable-mention award from Blanche Lincoln.

·        She has attended Bart Conner Gymnastics Camp in Oklahoma for five years and Bela Karolyi Gymnastics Camp for three years, where she has  learned many new skills and awards.  She won dancing queen and a group skit contest this past year. 

·        Courtney is also involved in church activities.

Courtney’s mother Christy is a Level Three - Level Four coach for Jacksonville Gymnastics and to quote her, regarding Courtney:

·        “The best part of gymnastics has been the blossoming of her personality since starting gymnastics. She was once a shy quiet child, and she is now an outgoing, bubbly child. She has also joined Jacksonville Dance Company this year and will only enhance her ability and confidence in gymnastics, as well as dance.” 

Courtney’s little sister Mackenzie, who just turned nine, is a Level Six gymnast.  She started gymnastics when she was almost three years old and came to Huff ‘n Puff at age five.       She began competing with Jax Gym at Level Four in 2003 but she had to wait for her birthday in November to begin competing at the age of seven.  (She won First on Floor at her first meet at the large Pepsi Challenge at Ouachita Baptist University, having just turned seven.)  She, also is doing very well competing Level Six, just as she has done at Levels Four and Five.