Press Release April 19, 2010
JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS TEAM SENDS SIX GYMNASTS TO
SEVEN-STATE REGIONAL COMPETITIONS
The Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team recently had six team members qualify for separate Regional Competitions for Levels Eight and Nine. The Level Nine-Ten Regional Competition was held April 9-10-11 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, (near Albuquerque). The Level Eight Regional Competition was held this past weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Competing at the Level Nine and Ten Regional Championships were 209 Level Nine and Ten gymnasts from the seven states that comprise Region Three: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming and Arkansas. Gymnasts qualify at their own State Meet for the honor to attend the Regional Competition. Arkansas had nine Level Nine gymnasts and two Level Ten gymnasts who qualified to attend this regional competition. Of the nine Arkansas Level Nine gymnasts, three who qualified were Jacksonville Gymnastics team members - Haley Edgin, Courtney Ellis and Taylor Rai Johnson.
Haley Edgin, the youngest, who is home-schooled, travels two hours a day, four days a week to train for the four daily hours of gym that the Level Eight, Nine and Ten gymnasts train at their home gym at Huff ‘n Puff. Haley has been All-Around State Champion for five years in a row, also attended Regional competition last year, and this year at the Regional Competition, qualified as First Alternate to attend the Western Competition.
Courtney Ellis is a student at Lakewood Junior High. Courtney has been All-Around State Champion for five years and also qualified for the Regional competition last year.
Taylor Rai Johnson is a student at Cabot High School. She also attended the Regional competition last year and this year placed Fourth-Place All-Around for her age division. She qualified for the Western Competition both years, as well. She will attend the Western Competition in Des Moines, Iowa, at the end of the April. Only the top Level Nine gymnasts in the western half of the United States will compete at the Western Competition.
Pictured here at their gym workout are the Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Nine gymnasts who qualified for and attended the Level Nine Regional Championships in New Mexico. From left are Haley Edgin, Courtney Ellis and Taylor Rai Johnson.
The Level Eight Regional Championships were held this past weekend at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Competing in the seven-state regional competition for Level Eight Gymnasts were 286 Level Eight gymnasts, including fifteen Level Eight gymnasts from Arkansas. Three of those Arkansas athletes were from the Jacksonville Gymnastics Team: Mackenzie Ellis, Kendra Lytch and Katelin McLain.
Mackenzie Ellis--a student at Oakbrooke Elementary in Sherwood--was a member of the 2008 Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Six State Championship Team. She also tied for All-Around State Champion that year.
Kendra Lytch—a student at Northwood Junior High—was also a member of the 2008 Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Six State Championship Team; additionally, she was State Champion on all four events, plus she was the All-Around State Champion for her age bracket.
Kaitlin McLain—also a student at Northwood Junior High—has only been a competing gymnast for three years. She was State Champion at Level Six last year and was State Champion Level Eight this year at the 2010 State Championships.
These three Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Eight team members are shown here at the Arkansas State Championship Meet after learning that they had qualified to compete at the Region Three Level Eight Championships at Colorado Springs. From left are Mackenzie Ellis, Kendra Lytch and Katelin McLain.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team--one of the largest teams in the State—competes Levels Three through Ten, and has won six State Team Championships over the past five years. Much of the credit for the team successes (in addition to having talented, hardworking gymnasts) goes to the very dedicated coaching staff at Huff ‘n Puff. Being a gymnastics coach is not easy work – it requires strength of the mind and body, the ability to communicate with the gymnast, and compassion and sensitivity to gymnasts’ feelings.
Shown here are Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team Coaches –from left are Lois Bryan; Lindsey Sweet; Christy Ellis; Laurel Spears, Head Coach; and Erin Hicks, Assistant Head Coach. Not shown are Michal Hodson and Stacy Waymouth.
Competitive gymnasts usually begin as recreational gymnasts at younger ages. Lead Recreational coach is Bobby Churches; other recreational coaches are Michelle McGowan, Dena Gorden, Jackie York and Tiffany Fikes. Some of the younger competing gymnasts have actually begun their gymnastics journey as preschoolers. Coaching students as young as two years to five years are Dena Gorden, Kristen Taylor, Jackie York, Bobby Churches and Erin Hicks. Also instructing preschoolers at local daycares in the Mini Mite program are Jackie York, Kristi Johnson and Kristen Taylor.
Huff ‘n Puff will hold its annual Skills Revue for gymnastics students on June 7th and 8th. The public is invited with no admission charge.