Region 5 Wins 6 Finishes 2nd: Easterns Recap

May 7, 2018

It’s a wrap for the 2018 Level 9 Eastern National Championships in Rochester, NY.

Region 5 had a successful National Championships this year crowning 7 All-Around Champions, 11 Individual Champions & 6 Team Champions.

The competition started out slow for Region 5 with both Junior 1 & 2 taking second place as a team, Region 5 did crown 2 event champions with Alyssa Taylor (Legacy Elite) taking the Uneven Bars title (9.650) and Samantha Macasu (Legacy Elite) taking the Balance Beam Title (9.450). The competition picked up for Region 5 heading into the rest of the day with Junior 3 Olivia Coppola (CGA) taking the Floor Title (9.500) and Junior 4 not only taking the Team Title, but also crowning Jenna Olshefski (Universal) All-Around Champion (37.700) & Beam Champion (9.650). Also, in the Junior 4 age group Ella Johnson (CGA) took the Vault Title (9.500).

we would like to recognize all the Junior Top 10 Finishers in each Junior Age Group.

Junior 1- Jazlynn Chism (Midwest Elite) 2nd Place AA 37.475, 3rd Place Vault 9.525 & 2nd Place Beam 9.450, Gabriella Van Frayen (Gym X-Treme) 3rd Place AA 37.450 & 3rd Place Be a 9.400, Ella Schell (AGA) 7th Place AA 37.025 & 3rd Place Vault 9.525.

Junior 2-Alyssa Taylor (Legacy Elite) 2nd Place AA 37.625, Hannah Scheible (All American Flames) 3rd Bars 9.575.

Junior 3-Grace Walker (Integrity Athletics) 6th Place AA 37.00, 3rd on Vault & Floor 9.450. Olivia Coppola (CGA) 10th Place AA 36.9875.

Junior 4-Kendall Turner (GAR) 3rd Place AA 37.275 & 2nd Place Vault 9.475, Ella Johnson (CGA) 5th Place Bars 9.525 and Maya Rios (Legacy Elite) 4th Place Beam 9.350.

Results: Junior 1, Junior 2, Junior 3, Junior 4

The Junior 5s & 6s hit big at Eastern Nationals taking the Team Title in both divisions. Also, crowning Ava Molina (CGA) All-Around Champion (37.725), Uneven Bars Champion (9.525) & Balance Beam Champion (9.525). The Junior 6s cleaned up in the All-Around taking the Top 3 podium spots with Laci Keck (GU) taking top honors (37.750) followed by Rachel Rybacki (Olympia-37.400) & Reagan Flannery (Stars & Stripes-37.275) finishing 2nd & 3rd respectively. The Junior 6s also had two individual event champions with Laci Keck taking the Floor Title (9.500) & Rachel Rybacki taking the Uneven Bars (9.575) & Balance Beam Titles (9.550). The last two Junior Age Groups 7 & 8 crowned Maleah Crowley (Legacy Elite) the Co-National All-Around Champion (37.150) and Kylee Vanderbeek (Champion USA) the National Beam Champion (9.575).

We would like to recognize all the Junior Top 10 Finishers in each Junior Age Group.

Junior 5-Taylor Thacker (Gym X-Treme) 5th Place AA 37.100 & 3rd Place Bars 9.475, Kennedy Griffin (Gym World) 7th Place AA 37.025 & 2nd Place Vault 9.575, Reagan Schaefer (Gym Nasti) & Hannah Primeau (Bay Valley Academy) tied for 10th AA 36.525.

Junior 6- Reagan Flanney (Stars & Stripes) 4th Beam 9.475 & 4th Floor 9.375, Amy Wozniak (Legacy Elite) 5th Place AA 37.100, 5th Place Bars 9.425 & Beam 9.350, Olivia Rickle (Integrity Athletics) 9th Place AA 36.975 & 3rd Place Floor 9.400 and Kelly Klobach (IGI) 10th Place AA 36.950.

Junior 7-Maleah Crowley (Legacy Elite) 2nd Place Floor 9.375, 3rd Place Beam 9.475, 5th Place Bars 9.300, Ella Hayes (Legacy Gymnastics) 6th Place AA 36.725 & 3rd Place Vault 9.375.

Junior 8-Lily Moore (Legacy Elite) 6th AA 36.850, 2nd on Beam 9.400 & 4th on Floor 9.350.

Results: Junior 5, Junior 6, Junior 7, Junior 8

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Moving forward to the Senior Age Groups, Caitlyn Bates of Universal Gymnasts broke into the top 10 AA with her 36.45. The Senior 2, 5, & 7 all took the National Team Titles along with multiple All-Around & Individual Event Champions. Senior 2 crowned a duo of grace as national champs with Grace Dodd (CGA) the National Floor Champion (9.525) and Grace Dubec, JPAC national beam champ (9.5) while we had 3 finish top 10 all around Marissa Rojas Michigan Academy of Gymnastics 2nd (37.3), Madeline Pike, Perfection Gymnastics School, and Mason Tannar, Gymnastic Training Center Rochester tied for 5th (36.85).

Lane Rodocker (Stars & Stripes) secured 3 National Tiles for Senior 3 in her first Championships being crowned the National All-Around Champion (37.625), Uneven Bars (9.550) & Balance Beam Champion with a huge 9.700. Madison Steskal (Midwest Elite) vaulted to the National Title with a 9.525 on the event in the Senior 4 Age Group as well as 4th AA (37.05) while Premier West Sarah Kuper was 7th (36.65).

Senior 5,6 & 7 also came away with some hardware, with Mia Figola (Legacy Elite) taking the top spot in the Senior 5 All-Around (37.525), Breckin Quoss from Twistars was 3rd (36.975), Ruth Lambries Midwest Twisters was 4th (36.825). Sydney Schumaker (World Class) earning the National Vault Title (9.525) and Ronnie Diiorio Buckeye Gymnastics 4th AA (36.6) in the Senior 6 Group. Jocelyn Warnica (MAG) claimed the National All-Around Title (36.900) for Senior 7. Also, in the Senior 7 Age Group Twistars USA Hailey Pike finished 2nd in the All-Around with a 36.860, Emma Barry from Downriver 5th (36.725) and Aviva Satz-Kojis Michigan Academy of Gymnastics 6th (36.675). In Senior 8, we had two top 10 finishers with Nya Pauldon from Bartlett finishing 3rd AA (36.375) and Kayla Lundy of Wrights finished 4th (36.225)

Results: Senior 1, Senior 2, Senior 3, Senior 4, Senior 5, Senior 6, Senior 7, Senior 8

2018 Age Group National Champion Teams
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In the Super Team Competition Region 5 was dethroned as the Defending Champions by Region 8 in the slightest of margins. Region 8 finished just ahead of Region with 48pts to our 47pts. However, Region 5 who started out behind on the 1st day did come back strong taking most of the points in day 2 to push us up into that 2nd place spot. Congratulation to Region 8 on their Super Team Title this year, but next yea it will be returning to Region 5!

The 2018 Level 9 Eastern National Champions also had unique aspect for one of our Region 5 athletes. Briar Burden of Water’s Edge Gymnastics in Traverse City, Michigan had a Balance Beam skill named after her. Briar, who has been competing a unique Beam dismount all season, successfully completed it at the competition and it will officially be named “The Burden” in the JO Code of Points. I have been watching her compete this unique dismount all season and I am very excited for Briar. We talked a little about it in our podcast, but will be following up with Briar and her coach later in the month.

Also stay tuned for our incredible story of Maddie Rydel of Infinity Gymnastics who swung her way to a second place uneven bars finish despite her gym closing just weeks before the National Championships and how her two coaches Andrei Nitkin and Brittany Lapinski made her first National Championships a possibility.

2018 Region 5 Top 10 Leotards (1-5)

Kim Dowis

May 7, 2018

Well, it is the moment we have all been waiting for the announcement of THE TOP 5 FAVORITE REGION 5 LEOTARDS!!!!! *(insert booming accounted voice)*. Unlike previous years choosing the TOP 5 Leotards was incredibly easy, it was 6-10 that gave me an extreme amount of trouble. This year the TOP 5 Leotards stuck out at me right away, there was no question about which ones I loved the most, I also polled my athletes and some of my colleagues for this lis

So without further ado…….Drum Roll Please……….

THESE ARE THE TOP 5 FAVORITE REGION 5 LEOTARDS!!!

5. Gym World (OH 2 yr)

As soon as I laid my eye on Gym Worlds Leo it was instantly one of my favorites! I love how it looks like the galaxy! I feel like I am looking at a beautiful night sky with sparkling stars when I see this wonderful leo! The colors are absolutely perfect as they ombre from dark to light. I love how the leo absolutely represents their gym name, because it is a Gym World after all!

4. Gym X-Treme (OH 3rd yr)

Now Gym X-Treme has two leos in the number 4 spot on the list because I love them both equally! The leo on the right that Gianna is wearing was actually the first leotard that they ordered, it did not come out exactly how they wanted it, so they ordered the leo on the left that Caitlin is wearing. I was kind of excited to see Gianna wearing the first leotard, because it looks great on her! If she did not compete in her session without her teammates we may have never seen this leo! However, without the first leo issue we would not have ever seen the second purple and black leotard that was ordered to be the team leo. When I saw this leo at a meet mid season I was a bit thrown off because I was expecting to see the first one (I previewed it during a summer visit), however the purple and black leotard is extremely elegant and classy and looks incredible on every athlete on the team. So, hats off to Gym X-trme for designing not only one, but two incredible leotards.

3. Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy (OH 5th yr)

Cincinnati never disappoints when it comes to their leotard choices, CGA has actually been on the list every single year since the 2014 beginning, with a different leotard. CGA happens to be one of very few gyms in the Region that get a new leotard every season and every choose incredible eye catching leotards that do not seem to cost an arm or leg either. My absolute favorite part of this leo is the key hole back, the smokey ombre arms and the subtle sweat heart neck line that is very flattering on every athlete. I cannot wait to see what CGA comes up with next year!

2. Jaycie Phelps Athletic Center (IN 3rd yr)

JPAC threw a curve ball in the leo game this year and stepped away from their signature blue color. I followed their leotard guessing game and unveiling online, they definitely surprised all of us. Everyone I knew was wrong in their guessing, we all had them in blue leotards. So, when I saw this leo unveiled in the most fun way on Instagram I could not wait to see it up close and in person. I just could not believe my eyes, this leotards is eye catching and extremely sharpe! The intricate design patterns on the front and the back are so different and of course the key hole back makes me love it even more! I am also extremely partial to Red & Black since those are my gym colors as well. So bravo to JPAC for out doing themselves and selecting a stunning, head turning leotard

1. Hunts Gymnastics Academy (MI 3rd yr)

Hunts Gymnastics is no stranger to our list, this is their 3rd time appearing on the TOP 10 and their 2nd time in the TOP 3. In 2014 they took the runner up spot on our inaugural list. For many this leo was an almost unanimous vote from all the people I polled, not one person had anything bad to say about it. Hunts leo created by Ozone is classy, elegant, eye catching and sophisticated. I love how they incorporate their signature blue color in the jeweling, I of course love the large key hole back which is accented by the criss crossing design. This leotard as well looks incredible on every single athlete and body type, most would like it would be hard to find the correct bra for the girls to wear with this leo because of the back design, but these ladies have no problem in that department and definitely found something to fight everyone that does not show in the back. I think that I like many other would have been turned off by this leo if bra straps were sticking out of the back, this leo is to elegantly designed to have the attention taken away from it by a misplaced strap. So fantastic job to Shannon and Ozone for creating this incredible piece that looks more like an evening gown than a leotard. Well done!!

Well that is a wrap on the Region 5 Insider Top 10 Favorite Region 5 Leotards. Please check out 6-10 and the honorable mentions if you missed them. There will be a special Level 9 addition out soon for those gyms that do not have a Level 10 athlete competing at Region 5 Championships, but who have fantastic leotards that need to be recognized.

2018 Leos 6-10 2018 Honorable Mentions

Please continue to follow our ongoing coverage of the Level 9 Eastern Nationals and the upcoming Level 10 JO Nationals.

***Disclaimer…to be eligible for the Region 5 Insider Top 10 Favorite Leotard list, your Gym must have at least 1 athlete competing at the Region 5 Championships.***

Senior Saturday: Nicole Borkowski, New Heights

Jason MacDonald

May 5, 2018

In this Senior Saturday, we get to know New Height Level 10 and 2017 JO National Qualifier Nicole Borkowski. Nicole talks about her family at New Heights and how the small gym environment makes for very close friendships. Nicole talks about her experience at JO Nationals last May and how it gave her a new sense of confidence. Hard work and sticking to her goals is what makes Nicole a great leader in and out of the gym. These qualities will come in very handy next year at Towson University. Let’s find out more about Nicole before she competes in her final JO competition next weekend at Level 10 JO Nationals in Cincinnati.

2018 Region 5 Dream Team: Level 10 Seniors

Jason MacDonald

May 5, 2018

Meet this years 2018 Region 5 Dream Team Level 10 Senior age groups who competed at the 2018 JO Nationals in Cincinnati Ohio.

Sights and Sounds: 2018 Level 9 Region 5 Championships

Jason MacDonald

May 3, 2018

Take you right up close to action from the the 2018 Region 5 Level 9 Championships. Get a feel for the excitement and the sights and sounds on the competition floor as our Level 9’s competed from spots on our Region Eastern National Dream Team.

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