Region 5 is making their move into 2019. Check out some of the new skills being done from our gymnasts around the Region. If you want your upgrades to be included in future Making Your Move posts upload your video to your Instagram page (must be public or put up on gym IG) and tag us @region5gyminsider. #R5MakingMovesMonday
Avery Balser (Buckeye) Full Twisting Double is coming along
Our next 20 Questions Athlete is Skyla Schulte of Phenom Gymnastics in Illinois. Skyla is a 2 time JO National competitor, a JO National Team Champion and a Level 9 Eastern All-Around Champion. Skyla has the perfect mix of grace and power with the straight body lines that always impress the judges. She has big skills including a huge hindorff on bars and floating full twisting double back on floor. Skyla has a strong work ethic and a leader in her gym. However, I think the best part about Skyla is her outgoing personality. She always can crack a joke or do something that gets you smiling and that is a great quality in a leader. Skyla is one of our regions best and with a few more years with us here in Region 5, I see her bringing home a JO National Championship. Lets get to know Skyla a little better, as she heads into the summer training season and prepares for another run at the Region 5 JO National Dream Team.
How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? When I was little I would always do headstands and cartwheels everywhere, so my mom signed me up. Also, anything that looked like a beam I would climb on. I was 3 when I started
What is your favorite event? My favorite event is bars and floor
Favorite skill to train/compete I love to do full ins
Dream skill? Pike hindorf on bars, double double on floor, 1 1/2 on vault, double full in off beam
What is your favorite part of gymnastics? Gymnsatics lets me be free and let lose. I get to try new thing, feel what it’s like to fly, and let’s me be me
What college do you plan on attending? I plan on attending Michigan State University!!?
What is your favorite meet to compete at? Why? I love competing at nationals because it’s such a fun experience and I love how everyone is so positive and the energy is unexplainable
Biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? Getting a full ride scholarship to my dream school
who do you most admire in the sport of gymnastics? I admire my teammates and coaches because they have taught me to not only be a good gymnast but to be a good person.
What is your favorite Region 5 Insider or Series? I enjoy the all access workouts
Enjoy our content help us out
What is your go to playlist or song before meets? I don’t have a specific song I listen to before meets but I like to listen to country music and cardi b
3 things you could not live without? My friends and family, food, water
If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why? I would be a monkey because they can swing around on trees
5 most important or must have items in your gym bag? My grips, shorts, phone, water bottle, and ib-prophen
Do you have any pre-meet rituals or superstitions? Yes, I have special meet socks I always wear and I normally wear the same hair ties.
What do you like to do outside of gymnastics? I like to hangout with my friends and family
Most embarrassing meet moment or gymnastics moment? I don’t really have a most embarrassing moment, but I have lots of laughs with my phenom fam
If you weren’t a gymnast what sport would you try? I would probably try dance or volleyball
Which athletes do you respect the most and why? I respect Jackie Robison because through all of the hate and discrimination he never gave up on his dream
What is the most valuable piece of a divide or wisdom your coach has given you? Take a deep breathe, you know how to do this and large and in charge like little lani
Bonus question: Tell me something interesting about yourself….My parents are Msu alumni and I’ve an MSU spartan since I could remember
Mind of a…. JO National Champion Beam Worker. In this episode we get mental tips from 2016 and 2017 JO National Beam Champion Payton Richards of Aerial Gymnastics. Payton talks through her mental cues during her beam routine and how she tries to own the event each time she trains or competes on beam. Doc Ali pin points the most useful strategies Payton uses to keep her mind tight and tough during her beam work.
Three Key Points:
1. Cue Words, Cure Words, Cue Words
2. Staying Calm and Not Rushing, Use Breathing
3. Own the Event
Region 5 is Making their Move into 2019. Check out some of the new skills being done from our gymnasts around the Region. If you want your upgrades to be included in future Making Your Move posts upload your video to your Instagram page (must be public or put up on gym IG) and tag us @region5gyminsider.
Olivia Orengo, IGI Full Twisting Double Back on Floor
Our next Level 9 Eastern National All-Around Champion is Mia Figola of Legacy Elite.
Congratulation!! How does it feel to be the 2018 Senior 5 Eastern National AA Champion? Being the Senior 5 Eastern National champion feels unbelievable. It’s always been a dream of mine to make it to nationals, but I never thought that winning all around was within reach.
Tell us how your meet went? Walk us through each moment of your day, warmups, events, etc…I had spent the entire day before the meet traveling so I really had a lot of time to think. Going into the competition I was just focused on having fun and competing as a team rather than an individual. I made sure not to look at the scores, but to just do the best that I could with whatever situation I was put it. The girls I competed with were so kind and the coaches were all so supportive, which helped ease the pressure going into the first rotation. By the last rotation, I wasn’t aware of how my scores were compared to the other girls, I was just glad that the meet hadn’t been a complete disaster. While waiting for flight B to finish competing the girls from region 5 were all able to sit together as a group and get to know each other. It was truly an amazing experience.
What do you normally do between events to stay focused and ready for the next event? In between events I normally don’t like to think about the next event. Watching and cheering for the other girls in my group helps to calm my nerves, and sometimes I like to do some drills on the floor to keep warm.
Tell us about the atmosphere of the meet compared to regular season meets you have been too. The atmosphere at Nationals is incredibly upbeat. At normal meets you can feel the tension as soon as you walk in the door. But walking in to nationals you can really feel the energy and the excitement between gymnasts.
What is it like being part of Region 5 at Eastern Nationals? Being a part of Region 5 at Eastern Nationals is an honor. As someone who has followed region5insider on social media for years, to finally be a part of the region 5 family is really cool. As a team, region 5 definitely stands out with the flashing sunglasses and the crazy event cheers. There is nothing but support and encouragement coming from all of the region 5 coaches and teammates. Since the expectations are high for Region 5, it motivates you to really strive for your best and it makes you proud to be wearing the number 5 on your leo.
How has your experience been here at Nationals? What have you been doing besides competing? In New York where the meet was, I was able to visit Niagara Falls and do some other exploring, which was beautiful and unlike anything there is to see in Illinois.
When the meet was over what was the first thing you did to celebrate the win? Before the meet I had told my Dad that if I placed in the top three for all around, he would have to buy me frozen yogurt. So right after the meet we went to get frozen yogurt.
Other than becoming National AA Champion, what was one highlight of the meet for you? The highlight of the meet was screaming the odd region 5 cheers before each event. My favorite cheer was, “Our beam is so clean you’d think we have a live-in maid.” Saying the silly cheers right before starting that event made us all feel a little less pressure and pumped us up as a team.
Anything crazy or funny happen during your meet today? After our beam rotation one of the region 5 coaches had a little finger puppet that looked like a giraffe. He moved the giraffe in front of the projector that was projecting the scores, and made it look like the giraffe was running around on the bottom.
Compared to the other regions on the competition floor, I feel that region 5 has the most team spirit. What sets region 5 apart, other than gymnastics, is the support that is given to every gymnast, regardless of how they performed.
Who inspired you the most? What did they say to you? How did you get amped up and motivated? In the beginning of warm ups I was feeling really nervous about competing, but one of the coaches from our region 5 team got all hyped up and was shouting “Let’s go girls!” Then he started jumping around and punching the air which made us all laugh. And from that point on I felt a little less nervous and began to really understand that this meet was not only about performing well, but also having fun together as region 5.
Mia was also member of the Senior 5 Team that picked up the 2018 Eastern National Team Title in Rochester, New York. Mia also picked up two silver medals on the Uneven Bars and the Floor.
