JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS COMPETES
LEVELS FOUR AND FIVE IN STATE MEET –
ONE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM – LEVEL SIX
Friday, 239 Level Four gymnasts, ages six to thirteen and up, representing 25 teams from the entire state, competed in three sessions. There were so many gymnasts in several age groups that the gymnasts were divided into two and sometimes three flights. Jacksonville Gymnastics competed 23 Level Four gymnasts in the three different sessions. The competing team members are Tonie Butler who just turned six and therefore able to compete at Level Four; Mackenzie Ellis, Abby Grappe, Madi Spears, Katherine Taylor, Katie Trujillo and Lynzie VanBrocklin, age seven; Taylor Butler, Rachel Flippen, Bailea Jones, Kendra Lytch, Terionna Stewart, Alex Taylor and Hannah Taylor, age eight; Sabrina Barger, age nine; Kennedy Driskill, Hayley Henley, Amanda Hicks, Kaylen Perkins and Allison Storeygard, age ten; Natalie Ruiz-Castillo and Janey’a Hutton, age eleven; and Madison Winstead, age twelve.
Several of the gymnasts won the championship title for their age for individual events. Tonie Butler won for Uneven Bars, age six; Bailea Jones won Vault, age eight; and Madison Winstead won Bars for age twelve.
Taylor Butler won the Individual All-Around Champion for age eight; Natalie Ruiz-Castillo won Second Place All-Around for age eleven with a 38.25. Natalie had the highest all-around score for the Jacksonville Level Four gymnasts.
Even though this last competitive meet of the season for the Level Four gymnasts is treated as a state meet and all teams within the state are represented, it is not considered a state meet but is called the Arkansas USAG Level Four Fun Meet, and no team awards are given.
(Continue below for Level Five Story)
(Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four Team Members, ages six, eight and ten, after competing in the morning session at the Arkansas State Level Four Fun Meet held this weekend at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Posing excitedly after the meet these gymnasts, ages six, eight and ten, on the first row, left to right, are: Tonie Butler, Alex Taylor, and Hannah Taylor; second row, Taylor Butler, Madison Winstead and Bailea Jones; third row, Terionna Stewart, Kendra Lytch and Rachel Flippen.)
From left to right on front row are Mackenzie Ellis, Kennedy Driskill, Amanda Hicks, Lynzie VanBrocklin and Madi Spears. On back row are Katie Trujillo, Kaylen Perkins, Hayley Henley, Abby Grappe and Allison Storeygard.
Competing in the evening session of the Arkansas State Level Four Fun Meet were Sabrina Barger and Natalie Ruiz-Castillo, ages nine and eleven. Janey’a Hutton also competed, but was unavailable for the photo.
LEVEL FIVE TEAM COMPETES SATURDAY
The Level Five State Meet competition was held Saturday also at the Pine Bluff Convention Center with 172 gymnasts, representing twenty-four teams, competing in three sessions. The Jacksonville Level Five Team was represented by fourteen gymnasts, ages nine to thirteen. Those gymnasts are: Caitlyn Dillon, Kimmie Edwards, Kelsy Founds, Marisa Grissom, Terra Johnson, Tiffany Maxwell, Jessica McDonough, Lauren McKibben, Stephanie Scroggins, Stephanie Singleton, Samantha Sobba, Kaitlin Soderlund, Carol Walters and Cami Wright. The team won the Sixth-Place Team Banner.
Terra Johnson won Individual All-Around State Championship for Level Five, age nine. Terra was the fifth gymnast from Jacksonville Gymnastics to be awarded the 2006 State Championship for her age. The other four gymnasts are Taylor Butler, age eight Level Four; Haley Edgin, age eight, and Tori Hanley, age eleven, Level Six; and Courtney Ellis, age ten, Co-Champion for Level Seven. Kelsey Lerner, Level Eight, was chosen to compete in the Regional competition to be held in Wichita, Kansas, in early April. And the Level Six Team won Team State Championship. The entire team, Levels Three through Eight, had a great competitive season and will now continue to train to further improve their gymnastics skills.
The Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Five Team competed Saturday with 24 teams in the Arkansas Level Five State Meet held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. The Jacksonville gymnasts won the Sixth-Place 2006 Championship Team Award. Posing for their team photo, left to right, front row are Stephanie Singleton, Lauren McKibben, Samantha Sobba, Kimmie Edwards, Jessica McDonough, Kaitlin Soderlund and Terra Johnson. Back row, left to right are Caitlyn Dillon, Tiffany Maxwell, Stephanie Scroggins, Carol Walters, Kelsy Founds, Marisa Grissom and Cami Wright.
The Jacksonville Men’s Team will attend their State Meet next weekend in Conway.
