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November 21 - 22, 2008
JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS TEAM COMPULSORY LEVELS--
THREE, FOUR, FIVE AND SIX--ATTEND ITS FIRST OFFICIAL
MEET OF THE 2008 - 2009 COMPETITIVE SEASON
The official competitive season for 2008 - 2009 has begun for the Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team. Levels Three, Four, Five and Six (the compulsory levels) traveled to West Memphis this weekend to attend the Harvest Invitational Competitive Meet hosted by Delta Gymnastics. The Delta Meet is always fun and the excitement abounds since it is the first meet of the season for those of us in central Arkansas. Some states have extended seasons and begin their competitions in September and October. Our season is from Mid-November to March (and April and May, if we're fortunate enough to have Level Eight and Nine gymnasts qualify for Regionals and higher.) The Harvest Invitational is held in the Delta home gym and you can always count on good food and wonderful hospitality. Besides the competition itself, the gymnasts also love the fun and good-natured rivalry between the teams and individuals in the handstand competition that Barry holds while the scores are being computed. Not only did the gymnasts participate, but Barry even held a competition at the Level Four session between team Daddies who wished to participate. Our thanks, again, to Barry and the Delta Gymnastics parents and gymnasts for such a fun meet.
Jacksonville Gymnasts proudly competed in their brand-new leotards of navy blue and silver, which are enhanced by a lime green accent stripe. The gymnasts looked really good in their newly designed and colored leotards.
I want to mention here, also, that the Jacksonville Gymnastics parents looked great in the sponsored Team T-shirts. Thanks to our sponsors for doing this for the team and thank you to the parents for showing your Team Pride. Our sponsors for the t-shirts are: Access Rehab and Therapy Services, (Tom Bartole); Dr. Loren Bartole; Barger's Painting; Central Regional Construction; Ghormley Motorsports; and Eric Hodson, State Farm Insurance. Just in case you aren't aware of the project - T-shirts (paid for by the sponsors, who just happen to also be team parents) were made available free to all parents who agreed to wear them to meets to show Team Pride.
The meet was attended by 188 gymnasts, ages five to fifteen and above, from seven teams, with gymnasts competing at Levels Three to Eight, plus an exhibition of skills by Delta's Level Ten Gymnast, Robin. Jacksonville Gymnastics was represented, however, by its compulsory levels only - the optional gymnasts did not attend this meet. The first meet for the optionals will be the December meet hosted by Hot Springs Gymnastics at the Lake Hamilton Junior High.
This meet began Friday night at 6:00 with 47 Level Three gymnasts from four teams. Level Three gymnasts have been competing in Arkansas for about four years, and more gyms are beginning to compete at this level. In other states, even Level One gymnasts compete. Arkansas has at least one Level Two team now and there may be other gyms competing Level Two of which I'm not aware.
As the meet began, it would be difficult to judge whose excitement level was higher - that of the gymnasts or the parents. It was a lot of fun for all of us. This was the second year for Barry to utilize the colored-card judging system for the new Level Three gymnasts. It is his feeling that it might be demoralizing for the child (and parents) if the child perhaps were judged at a lower score, and rather than flash the scores, one of three colors are flashed. A blue card denotes a nine and above, a red card denotes an eight and above and a white color denotes seven and above (or below). The judges actually score the gymnast by the same number system, as is used for the higher levels, and the gymnasts are honored by event placements and All-Around honors - the coaches are given the numbers.
I had written before that the Level Three gymnast is placed in the age bracket of her age of the date of the meet, which differs from the higher level gymnasts who compete under the age they will be at their State meet or competition. However, I learned this weekend that it is up to the hosting coach or meet director to determine how to make the placement of age. Barry chose to use the competitive age as for Level Four and above gymnasts - the date of the Level Four Fun Meet. For this meet, therefore, the gymnasts competed in the age bracket that they will be as of March 13, 2009. It is also usually the decision of the meet director as to how awards will be accomplished. Barry chose to award all the way out on events with ribbons and all the way out for all-around with trophies for each gymnast. Some directors choose to only award to a certain percentage of the gymnasts.
Fourteen gymnasts from the sixteen member-Jax Gym Level Three Team competed in this meet and represented Jacksonville Gymnastics Team very well. Awards earned by the home team were three first place all-around and fifteen first-place event honors.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Three team members are shown here posing in their brand-new competition leotards after a very successful first meet at Delta Gymnastics, West Memphis. From left to right on the front row are Gracie Petefish, Catherine Hancock, Reagan Hodson and Blair Jones. Second row gymnasts (L to R) are Breanna Orr, Eboni Wells, Madison Dixon, Macey Jasmin, Melanie Fortson, Mattingly Bartole, Taylor Stauffer, and Alex Wargo. Top row gymnasts are Roberta Cordts and Madison Hauck.
Winning Top All-Around Honors for their age-group were:
Macey Jasmin age five Second Place
Reagan Hodson age six First Place
Blair Jones age six Second Place
Madison Houck age eight Second Place
Alex Wargo age eight Third Place
Roberta Cordts age nine* First Place
Catherine Hancock age nine Second Place
Gracie Petefish age nine* Third Place
Breanna Orr age eleven First Place
* competing age nine - actually eight years old
Winning First-Place Event Awards were:
Vault - Macey Jasmin, Blair Jones, Gracie Petefish, Madison Houck, Breanna Orr
Bars - Blair Jones, Melanie Fortson, Roberta Cordts and Breanna Orr
Beam - Macey Jasmin, Reagan Hodson, Mattingly Bartole and Breanna Orr
Floor - Reagan Hodson, Gracie Petefish and Breanna Orr
Team awards were not given for the Level Three session - this is also determined by the meet director. Many coaches choose to not award team honors for Levels Two and Three as they feel it puts too much pressure on the gymnasts.
Levels Six, Seven and Eight competed at the Saturday 8:00 morning session. Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Six gymnasts competed during this session and won the Second-Place Team award--just one-tenth point below First Place. There were only thirteen Level Six gymnasts who competed in this session. Level Six is scored more competitively as this level prepares gymnasts to compete at the optional level.
Proud Level Six Gymnasts smile beautifully as they knew they had competed very well. From left to right are Kennedy Driskell, Katelin McLain, Jordan Rogers, Rachel Flippen and Lynzie VanBrocklin.
All-Around Honors awarded to the gymnasts were as follows:
Jordan Rogers age nine First Place
Lynzie VanBrocklin age ten First Place
Rachel Flippen age eleven Second Place
Katelin McLain age twelve First Place
Kennedy Driskill age thirteen First Place
I just have to mention here that Katelin scored a 9.45 on beam and a 9.65 on her floor exercise. The gymnasts also won twelve first-place event awards.
Competing in the 12:30 session were 40 Level Five gymnasts, including eleven of the twelve-member Jacksonville team. The team won Second-Place Team award.
Level Five gymnasts are shown here proudly displaying their Second-Place Team Trophy. Front row (from left to right) are Madi Spears, Briyana Isaac, Allison Ramsey and Hannah Taylor. Second row (L to R) are Sabrina Barger, Sierra Rohauer, Mattie Taylor and Abby Houghtaling. Back row gymnasts are Sarah Seibel, Sarah Beavers and Skylar Spaeth.
Winning top All-Around Honors for their age were:
Allison Ramsey age eight Second
Abby Houghtaling age nine Second
Madi Spears age ten First
Sabrina Barger age twelve First
Fourteen of the seventeen-member Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four gymnasts competed in the 5:00 evening session. A total of 69 gymnasts, ages six to fourteen, competed in this session, to the delight of a packed gym of parents and supporters. The Jacksonville Gymnastics Team proudly won the Second-Place Team Trophy.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four Team members pose here after their meet. The gymnasts, who range in age from six to twelve, very proudly won the Second-Place Team Trophy. Front row, from left to right are Sara Heil, Sarah Balenko, Miranda Chambers, Olivia Hodson and Madison Williams. In the second row, (L to R) are Molly Johnson, Lauren Osburn, Jadyn Perkins, Jenna Mecca and Taylor Parker. In the back row are Dalianna Gonzalez, Jessica Gardner, Madison Barnhill, and Lauren Travis.
Winning top All-Around Honors in this session were:
Miranda Chambers age nine Second Place
Jadyn Perkins age ten Second Place
Madison Barnhill age twelve First Place
Winning First-Place Event Honors were:
Lauren Travis and Madison Barnhill for Vault; Madison Barnhill for Bars; Miranda Chambers and Dahlianna Gonzales for Beam; and Madison Barnhill for Floor.
Attending the first meet of the competitive season soon reminds us, as parents and grandparents, just how much we enjoy the meet season. It is always with such pride that we watch our children and our team and we take such pride in both. We also take pride in our coaches for their most professional management of the team and gymnasts. Several of the parents complimented us on how kind, good and patient our coaches are toward the gymnasts. We are so proud of all of our coaches - Ms. Laurel, Erin, Christy, Lois, Lindsey, Mr. Bobby and our newest coaches Ms. Michal and Ms. Michelle (and not to forget, our assistants-to-coaches, Sissy, Tori and Kelsy, and there may be others, too, of which I'm not aware.)
The meet season always makes us more aware of what a wonderful sport gymnastics is. It is so good for the gymnasts in so many ways too numerous to mention. One of the greatest things, though, not to mention the great benefits of the physical activity, the coordination, strengthening, and mental aspects, are the great friendships formed between the gymnasts themselves and between the gymnasts and the coaches, and the wonderful friendships formed between the parents, as well.
The next competitive meet for our compulsory levels will be held December 5 - 7th at Dorsey's Gym in Sheridan. The compulsory levels will join the Optionals at the Hot Springs meet December 12 to 14th.
RETURN HOME RETURN TO 08 - 09 MEET SCHEDULE
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