JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS TEAM ATTENDS
MEET IN SHREVEPORT –
FIVE LEVELS COMPETE – FIVE TROPHIES WON!
Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Team, Levels Four, Five, Six, Seven and Eight competed at the 2006 Louisiana Cup Invitational which was held at the Centenary College “Gold Dome” in Shreveport, January 21st and 22nd. The meet, which was held for Levels Two and Three, Compulsory Levels --Four, Five and Six -- and Optional Levels-- Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten -- was attended by about 400 gymnasts from Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. The meet, smaller than last year probably due to damage to gyms by the hurricanes, was still a good opportunity for the gymnasts to see higher levels competing at Levels Nine and Ten. There were 36 Level Eight gymnasts, seven Level Nine, and eight Level Ten gymnasts competing in the Saturday night competition. Also, on Friday night, the gymnasts had the special opportunity to see Centenary College gymnasts compete against Air Force and University of Missouri. While at the meet, several of the highest level senior gymnasts signed for scholarships with Centenary.
Jacksonville Gymnasts won team awards at each session they attended – five in all. The Louisiana Cup trophies are quite different from the usual awarded trophies. The trophies -- which make for a striking award -- are a beautiful acrylic diamond with the award placement etched on the acrylic diamond. The awards are held in a black acrylic holder.
Saturday morning session started off with the fourteen Jacksonville Level Five team members competing and winning First-Place Team Trophy. Also, Kaitlin Soderlund, age ten, won First-Place Individual All-Around Award for age ten and eleven-year-old gymnasts and Terra Johnson, age nine, won Second-Place Individual All-Around Award for nine-year-old gymnasts.
A new record was set at Huff ‘n Puff this week when on last Sunday night, ten-year-old Jessica McDonough competed in an Illinois meet for 1500 gymnasts, moved to Cabot with her family Monday, worked out with Jacksonville Gymnastics Team Tuesday night and competed with our team on Saturday morning – all within six days – could be a record for almost any team.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Five Team Wins First-Place Trophy.
Displaying their First-Place Award were these proud Jacksonville Level Five Team members, from left to right, first row: Newest team member, Jessica McDonough, Samantha Sobba, Kelsy Founds, Marisa Grissom and Stephanie Singleton. Second row are Cami Wright, Stephanie Scroggins, Caitlyn Dillon, and Tiffany Maxwell. Standing on third row are Carol Walters, Terra Johnson, Kaitlin Soderlund and Kimmie Edwards.
JACKSONVILLE USAG JUNIOR OLYMPIC COMPETITIVE TEAM OPTIONALS - LEVEL SEVEN
The twelve Jacksonville Level Seven gymnasts competed Saturday afternoon and won the Fourth-Place Team award.
Displaying their Team Award, won in a very tough competition, the Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Seven Team Members, from left to right, first row are: Shannon Mavity, Courtney Ellis, Kierra Daniel, Taja’ Mitchem, Hannah Womack, Brooke Nevins, Audrey Nettles and Missy Whittecar. Second row gymnasts are Krista Carlisle, Sissy Ghormley, Madison Ellis and Rene’e LaFort. Rene’e won Second-Place Individual All-Around for her age group, and Kierra won Third-Place Individual All-Around for age 11 to 13 year-olds, but she earned an all-around score of 36.6, the highest on the Jacksonville Level Seven team for this meet.
In the Saturday night session, 51 gymnasts, Levels Eight, Nine and Ten, competed. The five Jacksonville Level Eight team members won the Second-Place Team Award.
LEVEL EIGHT GYMNASTS - JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS
Happily displaying their Second-Place Team Award for Level Eight Gymnasts at the Louisiana Cup Invitational held at the Centenary Gold Dome in Shreveport were the following Jacksonville Level Eight team members: Sarah McAlister, Jessica Wilde, Kelsey Lerner, Taylor Rai’ Johnson and Kayla Edgin. Kelsey and Taylor Rai’ each won Second-Place Individual All-Around in their age division. The sixth Level Eight team member, Bonnie Brown, will be able to join the team in competition at the Sweetheart Invitational meet hosted by Jacksonville Gymnastics.
Sunday morning, the nine members of the Jacksonville Level Six Team competed and won the Second-Place Team Trophy. Tori Hanley, age eleven, won Second-Place Individual All-Around honors for ages ten and eleven. Twelve-year-old April Pitts won Third-Place All-Around honors for ages twelve and above.
JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS - LEVEL SIX TEAM MEMBERS
After competing in the Sunday morning session, these Jacksonville Level Six Team gymnasts display their Second-Place Team Award. The gymnasts, who had a lot of fun while competing hard, were first row, Tori Hanley; second row, from left to right, Samantha Gray, Mackenzie Powers and April Pitts. On third row are Cassidy Eberle, Allyson Ferren, Tori Spears, Haley Edgin and Morgan Bussard.
Twenty-one gymnasts of the 28-member Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four Team competed in the second session for Level Fours at the Sunday afternoon session. The Jacksonville team, twice as large as any of the other teams, won the Second-Place Team Award. The following gymnasts won Individual All-Around Award for their ages: Mackenzie Ellis, who just turned seven, won First-Place Individual All-Around honors for ages six-seven and Lynzie VanBrocklin, age seven, won Second Place All-Around honors. Bailea Jones won First-Place and Kendra Lytch won Second Place for eight-year-olds. Madison Winstead, age twelve, won First-Place Individual All-Around honors for ages twelve and up.
PROUD LEVEL FOUR GYMNASTS AT SHREVEPORT
Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four Team members proudly display their Second Place Trophy that they had just won Sunday afternoon at the Louisiana Cup Invitational Meet at Shreveport. Team members shown here from left to right, first row are Lynzie VanBrocklin, Madi Spears, Katie Trujillo, Abby Grappe, Mackenzie Ellis, Rachel Flippen and Katherine Taylor. On second row are Hannah Taylor, Bailea Jones, Talori Mosby, Alex Taylor, Kendra Lytch, Taylor Butler and Sarah Jane Womack. On back row are Lexie Webb, Amanda Hicks, Natalie Ruiz-Castillo, Madison Winstead, Allison Storeygard and Ashton Bussard. Not shown, but also competing was Janey’a Hutton.
All in all, Jacksonville Gymnastics Team brought trophies for a First, three Seconds and a Fourth place back to their home gym at Huff ‘n Puff – not too bad for a team from a little city in Arkansas at a Louisiana meet. (Note: in the other session for Level Four gymnasts, held at the same time as the Level Six competition, SAGA from Hope won the other First-Place Team award.)
Most of the team members returned home by about ten o’clock Sunday night, just in time for night-time baths and last-minute homework!!! The life of a gymnast is NOT easy, but it is fun and quite rewarding.
Jacksonville Gymnastics will be hosting its Sixth Annual Sweetheart Invitational Meet February 10-11-12 for Levels Three through Level Ten at North Pulaski High. The public is invited and the schedule for the events will be announced soon. Tickets are available at the door. The team will be host to between 530 to 550 gymnasts from Arkansas and Mississippi, and possibly Louisiana. Refreshments will be sold and door prizes including cash prizes of up to $50 will be given out. For more information regarding the meet, call 985-1818.