FROM LARGE SHREVEPORT MEET
The five levels of Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Team competed this past week at the Louisiana Cup USA Gymnastics Invitational at Shreveport, Louisiana. The meet was held at Centenary College Gold Dome. The Jacksonville Team competed in five different sessions, beginning Saturday morning and ending Sunday afternoon, against 557 gymnasts from 24 teams from Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Most of the teams were from large cities; several teams were from the Houston and Dallas area, as well as many large cities from within Louisiana –and all were tough! There were four teams from Arkansas including the Jacksonville Gymnastics Team, Levels Four, Five, Six, Seven and Eight. This was one of the largest meets that the Jacksonville Team has attended.
The ten members of the Jacksonville Level Five Team who competed in the large 8:00 Saturday morning session with 96 gymnasts were: Cassidy Eberle, Haley Edgin, Samantha Gray, Marissa Grissom, Micale Kocke, April Pitts, Mackenzie Powers, Kaitlin Soderlund, Tori Spears and Erica West. Haley Edgin won first-place individual all-around for seven-year-old gymnasts and April Pitts won second-place individual all-around for eleven-year-old gymnasts.
The ten members of the Level Six team won the second-place team award. The Jacksonville team lost first place by the smallest margin--three-fourths of one-tenth point—to a very large team from the Houston area. The Jacksonville gymnasts were: Reagan Bennett, Morgan Bussard, Kierra Daniel, Courtney Ellis, Madison Ellis, Elise Guthrie, Rene’e LaFort, Audrey Nettles, Brooke Nevins and Bria Wiggins. Courtney Ellis won second-place individual all-around for nine-year-olds; Kierra Daniel won first-place individual all-around for eleven-year-olds and Brooke Nevins won second-place individual all-around for thirteen-year-old Level Six gymnasts.
The Levels Eight, Nine and Ten gymnasts competed Saturday night. The four Level Eight gymnasts from Jacksonville are: Sarah McAlister, Meaghan Townsend, Emily West and Jessica Wilde. Besides the older Level Seven gymnasts who also competed at this time, there were 37 Level Eight Gymnasts, 20 Level Nine and eight Level 10 gymnasts who competed in the session. At this time, Arkansas has only one Level 10 gymnast.
The Level Seven gymnasts competed Sunday morning at 8:00. The nine competing gymnasts from the Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Seven Optional Team were: Kayla Edgin, Sissy Ghormley, Taylor Rai Johnson, Shannon Mavity, Missy Whittecar, Hannah Womack and Stephanie York. Fourteen-year-old Bonnie Brown and Allison Guthrie competed Saturday night with the older Level Seven Gymnasts. Bonnie Brown won the second-place individual all-around honors for her age group. The team competed in a group of 76 gymnasts. The other Level Seven team member--Taja’ Mitchem--was unable to attend the meet.
Seventeen of the Jacksonville Level Four team members competed in the Sunday afternoon session.
The Jacksonville Team won the First-Place Level Four Team Award over the same large Texas team (from near Houston) that the Level Six team had barely lost to. Winning individual all-around honors were Mackenzie Ellis, age six – first; Sydney Hickerson, age 8 – second with a score of 36; Kelsy Founds, age ten – first with 36.85; Caitlyn Dillon, age 11, first; and Meagan Trotter, age 12, first, each with AA Score of 35.85.
While the Jacksonville Women’s Team was competing in Shreveport, the Jacksonville Men’s Team was competing in Norman, Oklahoma, at the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy. The boys will compete next week at the Sonshine Gymnastics Academy in Conway.
The Jacksonville Gymnastics Optional team members (Levels Seven and Eight) will compete in a meet next Saturday in Little Rock. Also, the Jacksonville Team will host its own fifth annual Sweetheart Invitational Meet February 11-12 and 13 at Huff ‘n Puff. Over 338 gymnasts from 19 teams from Arkansas will compete. The public is invited to attend. Admission cost is $5 for 13 year-old children and adults, and $3 for school age to twelve-year-old children. Also, Reflections, the Poster People will be here for poster photos for any teams (baseball, basketball, football, soccer, etc) dance companies, individuals or family sittings. If interested, call 985-1818 to make an appointment for sittings.
Five Meets and Five First-Place Team Awards for Jacksonville Level Four Team! Jubilant team members show off the First-Place Team Award that they had just won at the large Shreveport Meet. The Team members had won this First Place over a large team out of Houston. Jacksonville Team members in green are: Bottom rows, left to right, Sydney Hickerson, Kathryn Mavity, Lauren McKibben, Cami Wright, Morgan Colvert, Kendra Lytch, Kelsy Founds, Sarah Womack, Bailea Jones, Mackenzie Ellis, and Christy Dodds. Upper rows, left to right are: Meagan Trotter, Michelle LaFort, Samantha Sobba, Caitlyn Dillon, Elise Bamburg and Madison Winstead.
