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Jacksonville Gymnastics Team Has a Fun, Fun Meet -
Competes Five Levels - Wins Five First-Place Trophies
This past Saturday, the Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Junior Olympic Competitive Team, Levels Four, Five, Six, Seven and Eight, attended the All-Star Classic Gymnastics Meet, hosted by Stars and Stripes Gymnastics Team at their home gym in Batesville. Over 225 gymnasts from 13 Arkansas teams attended the meet.
The meet for Level Three through Level Nine gymnasts was held in four sessions began Friday night and ended late Saturday night. Gymnasts from the following teams attended: Cabot Gymnastics; Champions Jonesboro; Champions Paragould; Durham’s Gymnastics from Springdale; Flip Flop Gymnastics from Pine Bluff; Gym Stars Gymnastics from Searcy; Hot Springs Gymnastics; Jacksonville Gymnastics; NLR Superstars from North Little Rock; Regional Rec from Bentonville; River City Gymnastics from Little Rock; Sonshine Academy from Conway; and Stars and Stripes Gymnastics from Batesville.
The Jacksonville team members, who are from all over the central part of Arkansas, won the First-Place Team Trophies for Level Four, Level Five, Level Six, Level Seven and Level Eight. Jacksonville team members train in their home gym at Huff ‘n Puff from six to fifteen hours a week, depending on their competitive level, and travel from as far away as Alexander and Bryant, Maumelle, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Lonoke, Ward, Beebe and even Searcy. Many of the competing gymnasts also take dance at Huff ‘n Puff, which helps to improve their gymnastics skills, and several of the gymnasts even compete with the Jacksonville Dance Company. The two programs complement each other in making for a more versatile gymnast and dancer. Female gymnasts compete on four events, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Training in both dance and gymnastics definitely aids the gymnast in competing not only her beautiful floor exercises but also for maintaining her balance and developing grace on the balance beam. USAG Levels Three through Six compete the same compulsory routines that are choreographed for each of their levels and skills abilities. However, once the gymnast competes at Level Seven and above, the gymnast is known as an optional gymnast. The routines chosen for each gymnast are individually choreographed by her coach for each of the four events and to music chosen by the gymnast for the floor exercise. It is always fun to watch all the gymnasts compete, but especially so when the optionals compete their more difficult skills on each event or perform to their own personally chosen music.
The team gymnasts compete by level and most gymnasts compete all season at their same level. Sometimes, but not often, a gymnast will be moved up to the next level, during the season. During each meet, the gymnasts compete together as a team, but with levels within the team as large as the Level Three Team and Level Four Team of the Jacksonville Team, the individual levels are usually divided into two groups with two coaches staying with each group, and each group may be competing on different events at the same time. Scores for each event are figured for the gymnasts of the same age or close to same age. Announcement of the placements are made and the awards are distributed to gymnasts of the same age on each of the four events--vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. The gymnast’s scores from the four events are totaled and the individual all-around placements are then honored according to these scores.
Excitement begins with the introduction of the teams at the beginning of each session, continues throughout the meet with lots of breath-holding and lots of applause for the gymnasts, and then ends with the exciting announcement of the team awards. The team scores are figured by taking the top three (or sometimes the top five scores) of all gymnasts, all ages, from that competing level) for each of the four events; those scores are then combined for the total team score.
The Batesville meet actually began Friday night with the competition of 43 Level Three team members and 29 Level Four team members. Jacksonville Gymnastics has a large group of Level Three gymnasts; however, they did not attend this meet.
Seventy-two Level Four gymnasts from six teams competed in the Saturday 8:00 a.m. session. Jacksonville Gymnastics competed 19 of their Level Four gymnasts and won the First-Place Team Trophy. The team members won many of the top event awards and nine Jacksonville team gymnasts additionally won top individual all-around awards. Nine-year-old Katy Gorden from the Level Three team was very recently moved up and competed for her first time as a Level Four gymnast. Katy competed very well and placed fourth in the individual all-arounds, out of eighteen nine-year-old gymnasts. The top individual all-around placements were awarded to the following Jacksonville Level Four gymnasts:
Tonie Butler, age seven, First place
Jordan Rogers, age seven, Third place
Lynzie VanBrocklin, age eight, First Place
Madi Spears, age eight, Second Place
Katie Trujillo, age eight, Third Place
Rachel Flippen, age nine, First Place
Savannah Wade, age ten, First Place
Sabrina Barger, age ten, Third Place
Kennedy Driskill, age eleven, First Place
Sixty-two Level Five gymnasts from ten teams competed in the Saturday 12:30 session along with four Level Nine Gymnasts from the Hot Springs Team. The four Hot Springs team members were the only Level Nine gymnasts in the meet and they provided a lot of extra excitement in the session.
Nine members of the Jacksonville Level Five team competed during this noontime session and won the First-Place Team Trophy. Winning top individual all-around awards were:
Mackenzie Ellis, age eight, First Place
Taylor Butler, age nine, First Place
Kendra Lytch, age nine, Second Place
Stephanie Singleton, age twelve, First Place
Madison Winstead, age thirteen, Third Place
Carol Walters, age fourteen, First Place
Levels Six, Seven and Eight competed in the Saturday evening session. Jacksonville won the First-Place Team Trophy for each of these levels. Thirty-four Level Six gymnasts from seven teams competed. Five of the eight Jacksonville Level Six gymnasts competed in the session and not only won the First-Place Team Trophy, but they also won the following individual all-around awards:
Jessica McDonough, age eleven, Second Place
Tori Spears, age twelve, First Place
Caitlyn Dillon, age thirteen, First Place
Twenty-five Level Seven gymnasts from six teams also competed in the evening session. The Jacksonville eight-member Level Seven team won the First-Place Team trophy. They also won the following top individual all-around awards:
Haley Edgin, age nine, First Place
Mackenzie Powers, age ten, Third Place
Tori Hanley, age twelve, Second Place
Alyson Ferren, age twelve, Third Place
Krista Carlisle, age fourteen, Third Place
Missy Whittecar, age fifteen, Second Place
Even though the Jacksonville Level Eight Team was the only team competing in the meet, they well-earned their First-Place Team Trophy. The three gymnasts competed their difficult and exciting skills before an enthusiastic audience. On the vault, one competed a Tsuk with a Tuck, another a Tsuk with a pike and another a Yurochenko with a tuck. On the bars the Jacksonville gymnasts competed straddle backs, half pirouettes, mount to the high bar from a springboard and a dismount of a doubleback flyaway. On the beam they competed double back handsprings as well as difficult leaps and jumps within their graceful routines. Their floor exercise routines are always delightful as they compete to varied music from the whimsical to the dramatic.
The other Level Eight gymnast at this meet--Mary Beth Dunlap, from Stars and Stripes Gymnastics, the host of the meet--was honored as a senior competing in her last home meet. It was emotional as coaches know that they will experience the “Empty Nest” Syndrome and it is difficult when a gymnast who has been competing her entire life, goes on to start a new life. Another gymnast, Level Seven Grace McKissic from Pine Bluff Flip Flop Gymnastics, was honored by thunderous applause after she performed her floor routine with great dance and acrobatic skills to “Crazy in Love.” Grace is well-known by many gymnasts in central Arkansas for her friendly, outgoing disposition. Even though Grace, Saturday night, twice aggravated a previously injured ankle, she continued to compete the entire meet. The camaraderie among gymnasts, not only within their own team but between other teams is wonderful to see as gymnasts and parents alike appreciate how much hard work goes into the sport of gymnastics.
Jacksonville Gymnastics also has a Men’s Team. Team members are Jonathan Hand who competes Level Four; and Christopher Leirer, John Taylor and Michael York, who compete Level Five. Men’s gymnastics differs as to how competing age is decided. The boys compete under the age they were on September 1st, whereas girls compete under the age they will be at their State Meet in March. Boys may be ten years old and compete as a nine-year old gymnast, but girls may be nine years old and compete as a ten-year old, against others who may be ten and turning eleven the day after the state meet. The Jacksonville Men’s Team recently attended the Arkansas Men’s Benefit Cup that was hosted by Champions of Jonesboro at their home gym in Jonesboro. Teams attending were from Champions of Paragould, Flame Gymnastics from Ft. Smith, Sonshine Academy from Conway, Champions of Jonesboro and Jacksonville Gymnastics. Jonathan Hand, age 10, placed first on floor, rings and vault, second on parallel bars and high bar and fourth on pommel horse, and received second-place individual all-around, Level Four. Michael York, age 11, received fourth place in the all-around; John Taylor, age 10, received fourth place and Christopher Leirer, age 10, received fifth place in their age brackets, Level Five. Both John and Christopher compete as nine-year-olds due to their birth date. Michael, John and Christopher received the Level Five Third-Place Banner. Kenneth Leirer is their coach and their next meet will be February 3, at Sonshine Academy in Conway. The following weekend they will attend a large meet at Flame Gymnastics at Ft. Smith where gymnasts from Arkansas and Oklahoma will compete.
Jacksonville Gymnastics will be hosting it’s own Seventh Sweetheart Invitational Meet that will be held February 16 – 17 – 18. The first session of the meet will be held Friday evening at the home gym at Huff ‘n Puff, 613 Stonewall Square. The next six sessions will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Jacksonville High School Gym. Over 550 gymnasts from a Mississippi team and 25 Arkansas teams are entered in the meet, making the meet one of the largest in the state. This is a wonderful opportunity to see gymnasts compete and to learn more about the sport of gymnastics. Admission is $5 a session or $8 for all day for adults and $3 per session or $6 for all day for students. Preschool children are admitted free of charge. The meet schedule will be released and published soon. The Jacksonville Gymnastics Parents Association will be in charge of the concession stand and that means there will be great food and snacks available at reasonable prices. The Jacksonville Gymnastics Pro Shop, which features Elite-GK dance, cheer and gymnastics sportwear will be open for the Friday night session at Huff ‘n Puff. A large Elite-GK Sportwear Dealer from Oklahoma will be open at the High School on Saturday and Sunday.
The Poster People--the photographers from Mississippi who have photographed the Jacksonville Gymnastics Team will be available at the Sweetheart Invitational Meet on Saturday and Sunday to photograph any team or take individual photos that may also be converted to posters, if desired. Also the popular photographic Memory Mate will be available for purchase. The posters are wonderful for any sports team or dance company or class or individual. This will be the sixth year for the Poster People to come to Jacksonville to photograph the Jacksonville Gymnastics Team. They are responsible for the beautiful posters of the Jacksonville Competitive Team different levels and different years that are displayed in the hallways, balcony and office at Huff ‘n Puff. If you are interested in knowing more about the Poster People, please call the gym and tell them that you would like to speak to Sheryl about the photographers who are coming in for the meet.
MEET PHOTOS
Enthusiastic Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four USAG Competitive Team Members display their First-Place Team Trophy that they won at the All-Star Classic Meet held at Batesville Saturday. From Left to right on the front row are Jessica Gardner, Madi Spears, Jordan Rogers, Savannah Wade, Katy Gorden, Hannah Taylor and Maggie Lee. The back two rows from left to right are Katie Trujillo, Lauren Anderson, Lynzie VanBrocklin, Rachel Flippen, Sabrina Barger, Alex Taylor, Kennedy Driskill, Tonie Butler, Jadyn Perkins and Kaylen Perkins. The Level Four Team Members additionally had 33 event top honors (first, second and third) and nine top individual all-around honors.
These proud and happy gymnasts are the Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Five Team Members who had just competed and won the First –Place Team trophy at the Batesville Meet. From left to right, the gymnasts are Bailea Jones, Kendra Lytch, Taylor Butler, Carol Walters, Amanda Hicks, Madison Winstead, Stephanie Singleton and Allison Storeygard. The Level Five Team’s youngest competitor, shown next to the trophy, is eight-year-old Mackenzie Ellis.
In spite of missing three of their team members, these five Level Six team gymnasts won the First-Place Team Award at their weekend meet. Shown here with their trophy from left to right are Kelsy Founds, Tori Spears, Kimberly Edwards, Caitlyn Dillon and Jessica McDonough.
Shown here with their fourth First-Place Team Trophy of the season are the Jacksonville Level Seven Gymnasts. Standing from left to right are April Pitts, Alyson Ferren, Haley Edgin, Krista Carlisle, Missy Whittecar, Mackenzie Powers and Samantha Gray. Seated is Tori Hanley. This Level Seven team most represents Central Arkansas, in that they live in Alexander, Bryant, Maumelle, Sherwood, Beebe, Searcy and Jacksonville.
Three of the Level Eight gymnasts from Jacksonville Gymnastics Competitive Team competed in the All-Star Classic Meet Saturday in Batesville. The Jacksonville Team was the only Level Eight team that competed in the meet, but these gymnasts, age 11 and 13, had a good meet, successfully completing their very difficult skills on all four events, but especially and proudly “nailing” each of their vaults. Proudly posing with their First Place Team Trophy from left to right are Kayla Edgin, Taylor Rai Johnson and Courtney Ellis.