The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Champion heads west
PUBLISHED: March 6, 2008
The Optional teams from Champion Gymnastics headed west this past weekend to participate in the U.S. Airborne Born to Fly Invitational in Grand Rapids.
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The Level 7 squad excelled again, earning 110.4 points, despite missing three teammates and facing some very large and talented teams from across the state.
Pacing the team was Galya Traskos, with a 9.6 (first place) score on the uneven parallel bars, 9.275 (fourth) on floor exercise and 8.9 (third) on the balance beam. Her total score of 36.75 placed her fourth in the all around individual competition.
Also scoring big was Taylor Livingston, who earned a 36.725 (fifth all around), had a 9.3 (second) on vault, 9.4 (fifth) on bars, and 9.225 (sixth) on floor. A strong performance by Denae Wilce earned her an all-around score of 36.475 and contributed to the team with scores of 9.075 on vault, 9.275 (third) on balance beam, and 9.3 (fourth) on floor.
The team also benefited from first-year Level 7 teammate Jaime Uren's marks of 9.1 on vault and 9.15 on bars. Morgan Taylor also competed and placed fifth on bars.
Individual competitors at Level 8 for Champion were Stephanie Lim and Claire Tewksbury.
Lim competed in three events, while Tewksbury competed in all four, placing fourth all-around with a 35.375.
Alyssa Young also participated in all four events at Level 9.
To compete in USA Gymnastics events as a team at least three gymnasts must be scored in each event.
Earlier this month the Champion teams enjoyed a long weekend in Chicago where they joined 3,000 other girls at Navy Pier for the world's largest gymnastics meet.
The Level 7 team's ninth-place finish in Chicago was remarkable, given the size of the field with teams from all over the country.
In mid-February, Champion participated in the Cereal City meet in Battle Creek where the Level 7 team placed sixth.
Champion's next event will be this weekend in the GTC Motown Madness meet at Oakland University in Rochester.
Champion Gymnastics was flying high at the Totally Rad Prep Optional gymnastics meet in Kalamazoo Feb. 3.
Competing for Champion in the Bronze Division was Leeann Larkin, Bethany Hansen, Paige Russell and Jeeva Muhil. Erika Elliott and Kaitlin Gotcher competed in the Silver division while Kayla Samuels competed in Gold.
In Gold, Samuels took a sixth place on vault with a score of 8.60.
In Silver, Elliott won first place overall with a total score of 35.675 earning event medals of second place in bars (9.15) and beam (9.175) and third place on floor (9.0).
In Bronze, Hansen had the division winning overall score of 35.5 with first place medals on beam (9.25) and floor (9.1), third on vault (8.6) and fourth on bars (8.55). Larkin won second place overall (35.3) in Bronze with a first on bars (9.0), second on vault (8.75), third on beam (9.0) and fifth on floor (8.55).
Muhil won third overall (34.75) with first place on vault (8.9), and second on beam (9.05) and floor (9.0). Paige Russell was awarded fifth place overall in the Bronze Division (34.225) with a fourth place on beam (8.95), fifth on vault and bars (8.4 each) and sixth on floor (8.475).
Champions' Bronze Prep Optional swept away the Bronze Division's first place team trophy.
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