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2010 Arkansas State Championships

Level Five - Ten - Continued

March 19 - 20

Optionals Levels Seven - Eight- Nine and Ten

Competing in the evening session (noontime session reporting later) were 74 Level Seven gymnasts from 18 teams, including the six Level Seven gymnasts from Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team.  The competing gymnasts are Taylor Butler, Rachel Flippen, Jessica McDonough, Jordan Rogers, Stephanie Singleton and Lynzie VanBrocklin.  The Jax Gym Level Seven gymnasts won the Fifth-Place State Championship Banner and the following honors:

And we try not to say what might have been - but Rachel, with her 36.875 won second, losing by only .025 for All-Around State Championship, and Taylor, in the same age bracket, was right behind her.  We are so proud of our Level Seven gymnasts - they had a great meet!

Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Seven Team members pose with the Fifth-Place State Championship Banner.  From left to right are Taylor, Lynzie, Rachel, Jordan, Jessica and Stephanie.  Great going, Gymnasts!

(Going, back to noon.)

Competing in the noon-time session were the Level Eight, Nine and Ten Gymnasts from Arkansas.  Twenty-six Level Eight gymnasts from ten teams, including the four Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Eight gymnasts, competed in the session.  The Jax Gym Level Eight gymnasts are Tonie Butler, Mackenzie Ellis, Kendra Lytch and Katelin McLain.  This is the first year for these Jax Gym team members to compete at Level Eight and they are young -- ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen, and yet, they still competed very well, winning the Third-Place State Championship Banner and the following top honors:

Jax Gym Level Eight Team gymnasts - after the meet, but before presentation of the awards and their Third-Place State Championship Banner.  From left to right, Tonie and Katelin, and Kendra is standing behind Mackenzie.  Wow, Gymnasts!  You rocked!

                                                                                                                                Photo by Julie

Tonie, the youngest team member, did not place in the events, but she also had a very good meet.  Don't know if any of you caught the Channel Seven TV news last night, but the news anchor photographed all of Tonie's beam, and Taylor Rai's (Level Nine) floor work and interviewed Coach Laurel, so we are assuming that it was on the news - or maybe today.  We weren't told and we weren't home, of course, in time to see the news.

Katelin, Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Eight 2010 All-Around State Champion

Jax Gym six Level Nine team members competed in the noon-time session against ten other Level Nine gymnasts from five teams.  Jacksonville had the largest Level Nine Team in the State, which says a lot right there that we had that many qualified gymnasts, and the Jacksonville Gymnastics  gymnasts won the Level Nine 2010 State Championship Team Banner - or perhaps we should say that they retained the State Championship title, having also won the 2009 State Championship.  Gymnasts, we could not be more proud!!!!  We know how hard you work (all the Optionals have to step it up a notch in their training - in order to be at those levels.)  The Level Nine Team gymnasts are Haley Edgin, Courtney Ellis, Kimmie Edwards, Tori Hanley, Taylor Rai Johnson and Sarah McAlister.  The gymnasts won the following top honors:

Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Nine Gymnasts proudly pose with their 2010 Level Nine State Championship Banner.  Congratulations, gymnasts!!  What a group - they've been competing together for a number of years and have formed special friendships!!!

Haley, Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Nine 2010 All-Around State Champion

(I apologize to all of our gymnasts - it was really light enough in the Center to not use flash but not realizing it, I used flash and facial colors are washed out)

Kayla, our Level Ten gymnast competed against three other Level Ten gymnasts.  Arkansas is so lucky to have the four Level Ten Gymnasts - that is probably the most it has had in several years.  And we are so proud to have Kayla be on our team.  This was her first year at Level Ten and she had a good year, except for the foot injury, which put her a bit behind.  She was unable to compete at several of the scheduled meets and is still recuperating from her injury.  She is shown here at a meet held prior to her injury.

Kayla on the beam - 2010 State Meet

The Level Nine championship win was bittersweet, as we had to say our goodbyes to Sarah McAlister, who has been with us for eight years.  Sarah is our first gymnast to be actively competing in her graduation year.  Sarah will graduate in May from Sylvan Hills High School and she is planning to attend UCA to major in biology.  We have been so very proud of Sarah and her accomplishments during her time with us.  We will miss her and her warm personality

Of course I didn't have the camera ready to catch all six gymnasts!!!

This is the special blanket that the Level Nine gymnasts had made for Sarah!  What a wonderful gift for her to remember them by.

Ms. Laurel and Sarah after presenting her with the traditional bouquet of flowers for graduating gymnasts.

Sarah  - the gym will not be the same without you and your crazy, crazy socks and wonderful talent.

After the presentation of the bouquets, the announcements for the Regional Competitions were made.  In order to compete at the Level Eight Regionals, a gymnast must be in the top 50 % of her age bracket.  Jacksonville Gymnastics is proud that three of its Level Eight gymnasts will be attending the Level Eight Regional Competition, April 16 - 18 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Those three gymnasts are Mackenzie Ellis, Kendra Lytch and Katelin McLain. 

Mackenzie, Kendra and Katelin are shown here as the Regional Attendees are announced.

The Level Nine Regional Competition will be held April 9 - 11 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.  A gymnast must score a 34 or higher to be able to go to Level Nine Regionals, and our Regional  attendees are Haley Edgin, Courtney Ellis and Taylor Rai Johnson.   This will be the second year for these three gymnasts to attend Regionals.

It seems that the 2009-2010 competition had just begun and here it is almost over.  The Level Four State Fun Meet will be held March 27th in Little Rock.  As the Optionals work on honing their skills, the other gymnasts will also continue to train and begin working on new skills. As we all know, gymnastics is a ongoing sport where coordination and strength continue each week, and all of our gymnasts are looking forward to it.

AND IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS  - OFF TO REGIONALS, WE GO!!!!

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2010 Arkansas State Championships

Level Five - Ten

Final Schedule

All Sessions Capital Cup

JACK STEPHENS CENTER - UALR

Session I

Friday - March 19th  Level 5's - Ages 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 - 89 Athletes

Open Gym:    12:00 p.m.

SESSION II

Friday - March 19  Level 5's - Ages 8, 11, 12 - 87 Athletes

Open Gym   5:00 p.m.

SESSION III

Saturday - March 20   Level 6's - 61 Athletes

Open Gym   8:00 a.m.

SESSION IV

Saturday - March 20  Levels 8, 9 & 10 - 42 Athletes

Open Gym 12:00 p.m.

SESSION V

Saturday - March 20   Level 7's - 74 Athletes

Open Gym - 4:30 p.m.

Just a few reminders:

No food or drinks will be allowed in either gym (competitive or warmup).  Athletes may have water; however, it must remain with their bags in a designated area.

NO BALLOONS of any kind permitted in the Jack Stephens Center.

More information will be added (Address and Directions) soon