LEVEL SIX STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM!!!
If you are an enthusiast for women’s gymnastics, you already know that there are four events in a competition: the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. At most large meets, double equipment is utilized for bars, beam and vault to allow the session to progress at a faster speed. One group of gymnasts can be warming up on the event, while another group is competing on the other set of equipment for the same event. Usually, an additional tumble track-type floor is utilized for floor exercise warm-up. However, since this year’s competition was held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center, the use of double equipment, including two regulation-size competition floors could also be utilized –which made for wonderful conditions for hosting a meet. We know from talking to other teams how big a job it is to host the state meet and we appreciate Patty and Bud and their team and parents for taking on such a huge task.
At state competitions, the two judges for each event are seated on separate sides of the event equipment, and then their scores are compared and the score is posted. If there is a discrepancy in the two scores, the judges will then compare their notes to arrive at a satisfactory score. Having to discuss the scores is usually only done on the higher levels where more complicated skills are competed.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Team Members came away from the two-day Meet with a great feeling, having won the Level Six Team State Championship, nine individual All-Around State Champions, and 33 Event Champions. Also, all five of the team’s competing Level Eight gymnasts and our Level Nine gymnast won their opportunity to compete in the Level Eight Regional Competition and the Level Nine Regional Competition that will be held in separate weekends in April.
In the morning session of the Level Five State Meet, 83 gymnasts, ages nine and ten competed. The two ages were broken down into Flights A and B, so there were actually two all-around State Champions for these ages that had more gymnasts. This is unusual and was probably decided since there was a total of 158 Level Five gymnasts vying for the championship honors for their age bracket. In the second session of the meet, 75 gymnasts--ages seven, eight, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen and up—competed.
Since the meet was held in two sessions, team honors were not awarded until after the completion of the second session. Not all of our gymnasts could stay for the second session, so current pictures of the entire team are not available.
Competing in the first session, Level Five--for ages nine and ten--were the following Jacksonville Gymnastics team members: Age nine, Flight B were Madi Spears, Katherine Taylor and Lynzie VanBrocklin; age ten, Flight A were Anna Faith Camp, Bailea Jones, Halle Maddox, and Hannah Taylor. Competing in Flight B, age ten was Rachel Flippen. (Alex Taylor who was scheduled in the B Flight could not compete due to illness.)
Competing in the second session were Jordan Rogers, age eight; Sabrina Barger and Katelin McLain, age eleven; and Kennedy Driskill and Amanda Hicks, age twelve.
Jacksonville Gymnastics competed against members of twenty other teams in the Level Five State Championship Meet and won the Third-Place State Championship Banner. Top honors won by the Jacksonville Team gymnasts were:
Anna Faith Camp Age ten Individual All-Around Second Place
Katelin McLain Age eleven Individual All-Around Third Place
Floor – 9.575 First Place
Amanda Hicks Age twelve Individual All-Around Third Place
Bars – 9.675 First Place
Other Event honors won by the team members were:
Bailea Jones Age ten Vault – 9.325 First Place
Beam – 9.325 First Place
Floor – 9.5 First Place
The team record for the season was: Five First-Place Team Awards; one – Second-Place Team Honor (and that was in Shreveport against tough teams); one Third-Place Team Award; and the Third-Place State Championship Team Banner.
Level Five Gymnasts who helped to win the Third-Place State Championship Banner are shown here after their morning session. Seated from left to right are Katherine Taylor, Rachel Flippen,and Madi Spears. Standing from left to right are Anna Faith Camp, Lynzie VanBrocklin, Bailea Jones, Hannah Taylor and Halle Maddox. Alex Taylor was ill and could not compete.
Some of the earlier session Level Five Gymnasts joined the second session gymnasts to celebrate their Third-Place State Championship win. From left to right are Katelin McLain, Amanda Hicks, Kennedy Driskill, Jordan Rogers, Sabrina Barger, Bailea Jones, Madi Spears and Halle Maddox.
The State Competition continued on Saturday morning, and although dreary and sort of rainy outside, inside the Pine Bluff Convention Center, it was bright and cheery – with hope and anticipation in the air, as fifty-six gymnasts from fourteen teams competed for the 2008 Level Six Championship title. Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Six team was undefeated in the 2007-2008 competitive season (including the Shreveport meet), but the team had not competed against all the teams in Arkansas, so it was an unknown for our gymnasts, coaches, and parents (and for those of us who follow the team). The Jax Gym Level Six team members are Tonie Butler, Mackenzie Ellis, Kendra Lytch, Jessica McDonough, Stephanie Singleton and Carol Walters.
The Team Record for the Level Six team for the 2007 – 2008 competitive season was seven First-Place Team Awards, plus the State Championship Team Banner. We know that the gymnasts set history for Jacksonville Gymnastics and maybe for the state, also. Each of the Level Six gymnasts won the Individual All-Around State Champion honor for her age bracket. And the team won the First-Place Team Award. Even though they won for their age bracket, there was no guarantee that they had won Team because scores for other teams were so high. But they did, and we could not be more proud of them! Four of these six gymnasts were also on the Level Five State Championship Team last year.
Tonie Butler Age eight Individual All-Around First Place
Vault – 9.050 First Place
Bars – 8.525 First Place
Beam – 8.975 First Place
Floor - 9.050 First Place
Mackenzie Ellis Age nine Individual All-Around – Tied First Place
Floor – 9.025 First Place
Kendra Lytch Age ten Individual All-Around First Place
Vault – 9.6 First Place
Bars – 9.175 First Place
Beam – 9.450 First Place
Floor – 9.450 First Place
Jessica McDonough Age twelve Individual All-Around First Place
Bars – 9.55 First Place
Beam – 8.975 First Place
Stephanie Singleton Age thirteen Individual All-Around First Place
Bars – 9.2 First Place
Beam – 9.225 First Place
Carol Walters Age fifteen Individual All-Around First Place
Bars – 8.450 First Place
Beam – 8.875 First Place
Floor - 8.85 First Place
2008 Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Six 2008 State Championship Team. These gymnasts were undefeated during all of the 2007 - 2008 Competitive Season - winning seven First-Place Team Awards. Each of these gymnasts won the Individual All-Around State Championship awards for their age bracket - so there were already State Champions before the State Championship Team Awards were announced. No wonder they look so happy and proud - you should see the celebratory pictures we took afterwards. From left to right are Mackenzie Ellis, Tonie Butler, Stephanie Singleton, Jessica McDonough, Kendra Lytch and Carol Walters.
Competing in the noontime session, were 71 Level Seven gymnasts from seventeen teams.
Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Seven team members are Taylor Butler, age ten; Mackenzie Powers and Samantha Sobba, ages eleven; Kimmie Edwards and Samantha Gray, ages twelve; Alyson Ferren, Kelsy Founds, and Tori Spears, ages thirteen. Mackenzie was unable to compete due to injury. The team won the Fifth-Place Team Banner with a score of 111.15. The fourth, third, and second-place teams all had scores in the 111.00 range, ending with the second-place team having 111.875 - so for less than three-fourths of a point, we missed second place, as well as fourth and third for less. But we are very proud to place fifth against very strong Arkansas teams and we congratulate all the teams – especially the first-place team whose score was 114.750!!!!
Event Champions were Samantha Sobba, who won First Place on Beam for her age bracket, with a 9.5; and Samantha Gray, who won First Place on Bars for her age bracket with a 9.525.
Level Seven Team record for this season: Two – Firsts; one – Second; two – Thirds; one – Fourth; one Fifth (at Tyler, Texas, where the first-place team had a score of 115.275 (out of 120 points—strong, strong teams!!!) and Fifth in the State Championship Awards.
Level Seven Team members were proud to display their Fifth-Place State Championship Team Banner. Fifth through Second Place scores were very close - all in the 111.00 scoring range. The friendships formed and camaraderie between gymnasts is something that not all children may experience. These gymnasts are just as proud of each other's accomplishments as they are of their own. From left to right are Taylor Butler, Tori Spears, Alyson Ferren, Samantha Sobba, Samantha Gray, Kimmie Edwards and Kelsy Founds.
In the last session of the day, 29 gymnasts from 10 teams competed at Level Eight and 13 gymnasts from nine teams competed at Level Nine. Two Arkansas gymnasts were scheduled to compete at Level Ten but neither was able to compete due to what are hoped to be non-serious injuries.
The competing Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Eight Team members are Haley Edgin, age ten and the youngest Level Eight gymnast in Arkansas; Courtney Ellis, age twelve; Tori Hanley, age thirteen; Taylor Rai Johnson, age fourteen; and Sarah McAlister, age 16. The sixth member--Sissy Ghormley--was unable to compete. The Jax Gym team proudly won the Third-Place State Championship Team Banner. Individual All-Around State Champions are:
Haley Edgin Age 10 Individual All-Around First Place
All Events First Place
Courtney Ellis Age 12 Individual All-Around First Place
Vault – 9.1 First Place
Bars – 9.15 First Place
Floor – 9.425 First Place
Sarah McAlister Age 16 Individual All-Around First Place
Beam – 9.275 First Place
Floor 9.350 First Place
Taylor Rai Johnson Age 14 Individual All-Around – 37.0 Second Place
Tori Hanley Age 13 Individual All-Around – 37.0 Fifth Place
We are so proud of our Level Eight gymnasts. There were only seventeen gymnasts from Arkansas who could attend the Region Three competition in Texas in April and all five of our gymnasts qualified to go.
Level Eight Team awards this year are: three – Firsts; one Second; two Thirds; and the Third-Place State Championship Banner.
Just look at these happy, proud faces! And why not - they had just won the Third-Place State Championship Team Banner for Level Eight. These gymnasts have worked so hard and have accomplished so much this year!!!! We could not be more proud!!! All five girls also qualified for the Region Three competition to be held in Texas between gymnasts from seven states – Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. From left to right, these smiling faces belong to Sarah McAlister, Haley Edgin, Courtney Ellis, Tori Hanley and Taylor Rai Johnson.
Kayla Edgin, our Level Nine gymnast, placed third in her Individual All-Around quest. There were 13 gymnasts from nine teams vying for honors at Level Nine. Kayla placed second on vault with a 9.075, third on bars with an 8.95, third on beam with an 8.6 and first on floor with a 9.30. Kayla lacked .075 of a point to have a 36 all-around and a 34 is needed for Level Nine gymnasts to attend Level Nine Regional Competition, so she was well over her score to qualify. She will be competing in April for her Regional Competition in Wichita, Kansas. We are so very proud of Kayla and her accomplishments this year. She is our first Level Nine gymnast!!! Kayla’s record of wins for her first season as Level Nine are: two Firsts; four Seconds and the Third-Place State Championship Individual All-Around award and Level Nine State Floor Champion for her age bracket.
Kayla Edgin - our first Level Nine Gymnast. Kayla won the Third-Place Individual All-Around State Championship Award and earned the honor of going to Wichita, Kansas, in April to participate in the Region Three Level Nine competition. It is difficult to not keep saying how proud we are of each of our gymnasts, but we're so very proud of Kayla for so many reasons - She's a very hard worker and determined gymnast who has worked so many years to achieve the skills that she has to become a Level Nine gymnast. It's not easy but Kayla makes it look easy. Great going, Kayla!!!
Our gymnasts will be back in the gym at Huff ‘n Puff on Monday--training and working on their skills, new and old. Gymnasts are probably some of the best-conditioned athletes of all sports and it is important to continue their training. Parents, if you are not familiar with gymnasts and you would like for your children (boys and girls) to be physically fit and healthy, please look into gymnastics as a sport that will help them attain their goal.
We could not be more proud of all of our gymnasts!!!! They work so hard and sacrifice some of the leisure time that other kids may have, but we feel that it pays off for the gymnast in their adult years and in their school years with their grades, and in learning to meet their responsibilities (not to mention how physically fit they are.)
We really appreciate our wonderful coaches and parents, too, as well as our very talented and hard-working gymnasts.
Coaches Lois Bryan, Lindsey Sweet, Laurel Spears, Erin Wunderl and Christy Ellis.
Thanks for all you do.