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Web Release                                                                                                  January 16 - 18, 2009

       JACKSONVILLE GYMNASTICS COMPETITIVE TEAM COMPETES AT      LARGE YANKEE DOODLE DANDY MEET AND BRINGS HOME GOLD (AND    SILVER) AWARDS!!!

Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Competitive Team, Levels Three – Nine, attended the large Yankee Doodle Dandy Meet held at the Pine Bluff Convention Center this weekend.  The meet, hosted by Flip Flop Gymnastics, was attended by 500 gymnasts from 19 Arkansas teams and a team from Mississippi.  The meet was held in six sessions, which began Friday evening and ended Sunday afternoon.   When Flip Flop hosts their meet at the Convention Center, the gymnastic site is set up with two entire sets of gymnastics equipment, so teams can be warming up on one set of equipment while other teams are competing on the other set.  The judges move from one set of equipment to the other between teams.  If one set of judges is judging the floor, for example, they will then move to the other floor exercise area and the gymnasts who have warmed up on that floor will then compete on the same floor area where they warmed up.  The same is true for each event. 

The meet began Friday evening at 5:00 for 93 Level Four Gymnasts from eleven teams, including the 17 Level Four gymnasts from Jacksonville Gymnastics.  The team members, who  range in age from seven to twelve, proudly won the First-Place Team Trophy.  Some of the ages had so many competitors that some of the groups were divided into Flights of A, B and even C.  (Note:  the gymnasts are listed on my score sheets by age first and then alphabetically by first names – it makes it much easier for me when they are calling out awards by first names to find the name on my score sheets instead of trying to recall last names quickly – by the time I could find the names, they would be well past the award presentation; thus, the listing of the gymnasts as they are.)  Winning top All-Around Honors for Jacksonville Gymnastics for the evening Level Four Session were the following gymnasts:

Top Three Event Winners were:

Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Four gymnasts show off their First-Place Team Trophy, which they had very proudly just won at the Yankee Doodle Competitive Meet.  From left to right on front row are Jessica Gardner, Rachel Wyrick, Miranda Chambers and Courtney Jackson.  Second row, left to right, are Sarah Balenko, Jadyn Perkins, Taylor Parker, Madison Williams and Olivia Hodson.  On the back row, left to right, are Sara Heil, Lauren Osburn, Lauren Travis, Madison Barnhill, Mollie Johnson, Jenna Mecca, Marissa Wallace and Dahlianna Gonzalez.  Congratulations, Level Four Team - it was a great win!!!!!

Competing in the early Saturday morning session were another 67 Level Four gymnasts from seven teams, and 32 Level Five gymnasts from seven teams.

The Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Five team of twelve gymnasts, however, competed in the noon session with 74 Level Five gymnasts from nine teams.  The Level Five Team won the Fourth-Place Team Trophy and the following gymnasts won the top All-Around Honors for their age.

Also, the top Event Honors for this Level Five Session were won by the following gymnasts:

Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Five gymnasts pose with their Fourth-Place Team Trophy.  It was a tough competition and we are proud of you all.  Shown here from left to right are Sierra Rohauer, Hannah Taylor, Madi Spears, Mattie Taylor, Sabrina Barger, Allison Ramsey, Briyana Isaac, Sarah Beavers, Sarah Seibel, Skylar Spaeth, Abby Houghtaling and Anna Huston.  Madi had scored a 9.6 on beam and 9.625 on floor and Abby had scored a 9.5 on floor.  We are so proud of all of you, Girls!!!

Also competing in the noon time session were the five Jax Gym Level Six team members, who competed with 28 Level Six gymnasts from seven teams.  The Level Six team won the Second-Place Team Trophy and won the following individual All-Around Honors:

They also won the following Event Honors:

The eyes of the Level Six team were shining as brightly as their Second-Place Team Trophy.  Way to go, Girls!!!  From left to right are Katelin McLain, Lynzie VanBrocklin, Jordan Rogers, Kennedy Driskill and Rachel Flippen.  Katelin scored a 9.550 on floor and a 9.475 on beam, with a 37.225 All-Around Score.

Competing in the Saturday evening session were optional gymnasts from Levels Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten.  These levels are called optional levels because at these levels the gymnast and coach select her own special music.  The floor routines are choreographed by professional choreographers or gym coaches to the gymnast’s specially-selected music.  The routines are choreographed in such a manner as to feature the gymnast’s personality and her best skills.  The bar and beam routines also feature the gymnast’s best skills.  Each of these routines must include within it the required skills for each level.

Six of the seven Level Seven gymnasts from Jacksonville Gymnasts competed in this evening session, along with 34 gymnasts from nine teams.  The Jacksonville Team won the First-Place Team Trophy.  The individual All-Around Honors were awarded as follows:

The Jax Gym Level Seven gymnasts won the following Event Honors:

It should be noted that in these higher levels some of the age  might be combined, which means that our gymnasts are competing against their own teammates.  It might be that when a gymnast earns the second-place honor, the first-place honor may have gone to her own teammate.  Each meet host will decide on age breakdown, depending on how many gymnasts of each age are entered into the meet.

These Level Seven Gymnasts are always smiling - and why not!!!  They are holding their First-Place Team Trophy for which they had just worked so hard.  From left to right are Tonie Butler, Kendra Lytch, Mackenzie Ellis, Kelsy Founds, Jessica McDonough and Stephanie Singleton.  You have every reason to smile like this, Girls, you deserve that trophy!!!

The Level Eight team also won the First-Place Team Trophy.  The five Jacksonville Gymnastics team members competed with thirteen gymnasts from five teams.  The individual All-Around Honors for the team were as follows:

Event Honors were won by the gymnasts as follows:

The Level Eight team had also just been awarded First-Place Team Trophy, which they had proudly earned.  From left to right are Taylor Butler, Kimmee Edwards, Tori Hanley, Allyson Ferren.  We know how hard you train and we are very, very proud of you. 

The Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Nine team members won the Second-Place Team Trophy. Again, in some cases, our gymnasts were competing against their own team members.  Our five gymnasts competed with eight gymnasts from two teams and won the following individual All-Around Honors.

They also won the following Event Awards:

Our Level Nine gymnasts won the Second-Place Team Trophy.  We are always proud of you girls!We know what you go through each and every time you enter the gym and the hard work that has gone into all of your skills!!!!  Left to right are Taylor Rai Johnson, Sarah McAlister, Courtney Ellis, Haley Edgin and Kayla Edgin.  Kayla, I apologize to you - my memory card surprised me and was full.  We'll do better next time. 

(Photo by Vest Photography)

Sarah McAlister shown here in a phenomenal move on the beam!!!

One Level Ten gymnast also competed in the meet.

A session of Level Two and Level Three gymnasts was held at 8:00 Sunday morning.  That session was for 33 Level Two gymnasts from three teams.  Also competing in this session were 64 Level Three gymnasts from six teams.  Arkansas has been competing Level Three gymnasts for about four or five years and Level Two gymnasts for probably two years.

Fourteen gymnasts from the sixteen-member Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Three Team competed with 53 gymnasts from five teams in the Sunday noontime session.  No team awards were given but the Jax Gym team members won many top individual All-Around awards, in addition to many event awards.  The entire team competed beautifully after not competing for over a month.  It is so inspiring to see what all these Level Three gymnasts can do and how well they compete to represent Jacksonville Gymnastics.  Listed below are the team members who won the individual All-Around Awards.

The following were the top Event Awards for Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Three Team.

Jacksonville Gymnastics Level Three Team members competed very well Sunday noon.  These gymnasts are such a joy to watch!!!  From left to right are Roberta Cordt, Madison Dixon, Blair Jones, Catherine Hancock, Melanie Fortson, Cambrie Wade, Reagan Hodson, Mattingly Bartole, Macey Jasmin, Taylor Stauffer, Alex Wargo, Madison Hauck, Eboni Wells and Breanna Orr.

Level Four gymnast, Madison Williams, is shown here with the First-Place Team Trophy that the team had won.  Madison won First-Place individual All-Around for age nine with a score of 37.6.  The Level Four gymnasts received vault scores of 9.2, 9.3, 9.65, 9.75, 9.65, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.3, 9.4, 9.75, 9.65, 9.65, 9.55, 9.6, 9.7 and 9.6. 

My apologies to Katelin McLain and Rachel Flippen - Level Six First-Place All-Around winners - we had to rush to get off the floor because of the next competition and I didn't think to take separate pictures - cropped above is of Katelin who won with a 37.225.

Rachel Flippen, age 11, Level Six, also won First-Place All-Around for her age bracket.

Tonie Butler and Mackenzie Ellis, the two youngest members of the Level Seven Team, pose here after the meet.  The First-Place Team trophy is almost as tall as they.  Tonie and Mackenzie each won First-Place All-Arounds for their age group, Level Seven.  (Now we know why I use the big camera - had run out of memory, so used my smaller camera.)

Taylor Butler, age 11, Level Eight Gymnast, won First-Place individual All-Around for her age bracket. 

Tori Hanley, age fourteen, Level Eight Gymnast, won First-Place individual All-Around for her age.  Tori has competed three meets this season and has won first place AA in each of the three meets.  Way to go, Tori!!!  We are so proud of you.

Courtney Ellis, age 13, Level Nine, won First-Place individual All-Around for her age bracket.  Wow - two sisters within two families, bringing in the gold!!!  Congratulations, Butler and Ellis Girls!!!!  We have several other sisters within families competing - Hannah and Mattie Taylor, Olivia and Reagan Hodson, Tori and Madi Spears, and Kayla and Haley Edgin.  And then we have the dozens of other gymnasts who have formed such close and fast friendships that they might as well be sisters.

And then we have the coaches who are mothers of gymnasts - Laurel Spears, Christy Ellis and Michal Hodson who coaches a Level Two class and kindly fills in for us when needed.  The other team coaches, Erin Wunderl, Lois Bryan and Lindsey Sweet, are also family to us - as is Mr. Bobby, our lead Recreational Coach. 

We are so proud of all our gymnasts and the team accomplishments of each level.  We are also proud of how our gymnasts represent the Team, not only when they are competing, but for their friendliness to the gymnasts from other teams and their conduct on the awards stand.  We all have to remember that we are in this sport for the fun of it, and yes, for the accomplishments, but as in all sports, it’s not whether we win or lose, but how we “play the game.”  We also realize that sometimes tears come, whether we expect them or not, but we hope that our gymnasts remember to have a smile along with the tears.  We also love it that our team members support each other, not only in practice but at the meets.  The enthusiasm of the team members definitely encourages the competing gymnast.  I personally am also pleased that most of our gymnasts remember to not eat or chew gum while being presented for the awards. 

Our thanks are extended again to Ms. Patty, her husband Bud, and the parents and gymnasts from Flip Flop Gymnastics.  You all always make us feel so welcome and we love attending the meets that you host at the Convention Center.

Congratulations again to our gymnasts and we extend our appreciation and thanks for the wonderful support of our own parents and grandparents.

Our next competition for Levels Four – Nine will be held February 7 - 8th at the Centenary College Gold Dome at Shreveport, Louisiana.