2017 Level 9 Eastern AA Champion Q&A: Sophia Rios (Twistars USA)

May 17, 2017

Our next 2017 Level 9 Eastern National Champion is another hometown girl. Sophia Rios of Twistars USA won the Senior 1 All-Around Title, Rios also won it in front of the home crowd in Diamondale, Michigan. Sophia also picked up an individual gold medal on the balance beam taking the Eastern National Beam Title. Let’s get to know Sophia a little bit better and how she feels about her big nationals win and how the competition went for her on home turf.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! How does it feel to be the 2017 National Senior 1 All Around Champion? Winning the national All-Around title feels incredible. After I finished my last event, my coach gave me a giant hug and that was when I knew I had won. I started crying tears of pure happiness and it was one of the greatest feelings I have ever experienced.

Tell us how your meet went today? Walk us through each moment of your day, warm ups, events etc…. Once my teammate Breckin Quoss and I walked into the arena, that’s when it hit me that I was competing against some of the best gymnasts in the nation at one of the biggest competitions I will ever attend. When they allowed all competitors to walk onto the floor, we handed out good luck notes to all our Region 5 teammates. I introduced each myself to each one of them so that we could support each other from the very beginning. At 12:30 open stretch started and we began to do our region 5 warmup. While we were running, I could feel all the adrenaline rushing through my body. After warm up we were led behind the curtain to line up for march in. We had our flashing pink sunglasses that made it even more exciting. As they announced region 5, we walked out through a tunnel of coaches and received high fives from each one of them. That was one of the most exciting parts of the meet. After the march in we headed to bars and put our grips on right away. Bars warm up went very solid for me and I felt very confident and ready to compete. When they announced Region 5, we ran down the mats waving our hands while the crowd cheered. When it was my turn to compete, Brett gave me my pep talk before I competed and I saluted to the judge and began. I finished my routine with a stuck dismount which was very exciting. After my routine, I took off my grips and waited for the rest of my teammates to finish competing. We then rotated to beam and began warmup. My beam warmup was also pretty solid which helped to control lots of the nerves. After I made my routine, I felt a lot of relief because the next two events I could just be aggressive on and I’d be good. I always have a lot of time to warm up on floor so I get my passes in, do a few leaps and turns, then stand there and rest my body. Being at my home gym made me feel extra confident because I had all my family and teammates there supporting me. When the crowd cheers you on so much it just makes competitions more fun and exciting. My floor routine was great and after that was when I really realized that I was close to becoming the national champion. My coach John came over and told me that he was going to get all the Twistars in the gym to cheer me on and help lead me to victory since at that point I was tied for first place. Warm up on vault left me feeling a little nervous. It was not how I wanted it to go and I didn’t make any solid vaults. I was last up on vault so I had to wait until all of my teammates competed in order for me to go. Finally, it was my turn. I saluted the judges and I heard the crowd roaring. I must’ve had at least 100 people cheering for me at that moment. I ran down the vault runway as hard as I could and I did one of the best vaults of my life but I knew I wasn’t done. Brett told me to try my hardest to stick it since I had already made my first vault. I saluted, took a deep breath, and ran as hard as I could. I spotted my landing and took a slight foot slide. The crowd screamed and that’s the moment that Brett told me that I won. I started crying tears of joy and so did my coach Angelina. Winning Level 9 Eastern Nationals is a moment I will never forget.

What do you normally do between events to stay focused and ready for the next event? To stay focused in between each event, I continue to shake out my legs to keep my muscles relaxed and warm. I also drink lots of water and cheer on my teammates as much as possible. Along with that, I visualize my routines for the next event to help myself feel more prepared.

Tell us about the atmosphere of the meet compared to regular season meets you have been too. The atmosphere at Level 9 Eastern Nationals was way more exciting. Everyone there was looking for a win. At regular season meets, the energy level isn’t as high and even though they’re not bigger competitions, they almost feel more nerve-racking. At nationals, I could go as hard as I could, knowing that I had nothing to lose.

What is it like being part of Region 5 at Eastern Nationals? Being a part of Region 5 was so much fun. It is definitely an experience I will never forget. My coach, Brett Wargo, came up with the craziest cheers before each event and they really helped me to have a fun time. We were constantly cheering and smiling and continued to have so much fun throughout the entire competition.

How has your experience been here at Nationals? What have you been doing besides competing? Since I only live 20 minutes away from where the meet was held, I continued to go from school straight to the gym for practice. On Thursday, I picked up my competition gear before the region 5 practice. That was a big moment that I was very excited for. At 3:30 we began warming up for our short practice. I would say my practice on the equipment helped me feel more comfortable on the equipment and ready to compete. After the practice, my teammates and I got ready in the locker room for the 2017 Eastern Nationals Banquet. We headed to Spartan Stadium straight from the practice. When we got there, it was full of gymnasts and we ended up dancing and singing a lot. That was definitely a night to remember.

When the meet is over what is or what was the first thing you did to celebrate your win? After the meet, I received lots of hugs and took many pictures. Once we left, I went out to eat with my family. After dinner, we went home and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Other than becoming National Champion, what was one highlight of the meet for you today? One highlight of the meet was making new friends and supporting each other each step of the way.

Anything crazy or funny happen during your meet today? My coach Brett likes to do some crazy cheers before each event. The one before vault was a pretty funny one. He made us all say “fly like the Wright Brothers in 1903”. That was a very exciting and fun part of the day.

How does Region 5 compare to the other Regions out on the competition Floor? What sets Region 5 apart? Region 5 had the most energy and continued to stay positive. We also had some pretty great cheers. The meet felt more like doing great for your region, not for yourself which also made it more fun.

Who inspired you the most today? What did they say to you? How did you get amped up and motivated today? I would say my coach Brett Wargo inspired me the most today. He always knows the perfect things to say to me and helps me to feel more relaxed. Today he told me, “Go as hard as you can and do the best you can. Show them what you’re capable of”. He has truly helped me excel so much in gymnastics and makes practice so much more fun with all his energy and positivity. I am very lucky to have him as my coach.

Congratulations to Sophia Rios on her Two National Championships Titles and to the Twistars coaches and staff.

20 Questions with JO National Qualifier Wesley Stephenson

Kim Dowis

May 16, 2017

Wesley Stephenson is an outstanding gymnast from Legacy Elite in Illinois, is the reigning Region 5 Beam Champion in her age group and a multiple time JO National Qualifier. Stephenson, who started gymnastics at 4 years old, has college on her mind but has not made an official announcement of where is is going yet. However, I do know that what eve college she choses they will be lucky to have this Region 5 All-Star! Wesley will be with us here in Region 5 for one more year and I cannot wait to see what her senior year holds for this exceptional young lady. As we head into summer lets get to know Wesley a little bit better.

How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? I was always a very active kid and I had the tendency to drive my mom crazy. I would never want to sit still and watch a TV show, so my mom put me in a class to satisfy my constant need to be moving around. I took my first class at 4 years old.

What is your favorite event? Sometimes my favorite event changes, but right now I’m loving beam.

What is your favorite part of gymnastics? Hitting a great routine at meet fills you with a sense of pride and accomplishment, especially when you’re competing with your teammates and sharing the positive vibes with them.

What college do you plan on attending? I haven’t officially announced anything yet, but it’s a great one! 🙂

What is your favorite meet to compete at? I like competing at the LGA Lucky Invite in March because it’s a fun, stress-free meet that lets you get out any kinks just before State..

Biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? A couple years ago I made the Region 5 All Star Team and we took a trip to the Dominican Republic, which was an amazing experience. I probably would have never gone there if it weren’t for gymnastics!

Favorite skill to train and/or compete? One of my favorite skills to do is my double layout dismount off of bars.

Dream skill? It would be so cool to compete a double layout on floor!

Who do you most admire in the sport of gymnastics? Anyone who stays motivated no matter who’s watching. They do what they do for themselves and work hard to make themselves proud.

What is your all-time favorite leotard? Do you still your very first leo? I used to have a leo that was lime green with a design that was black and fuzzy and looked like a fish net on the leo. My very first leo was one of those that had shorts connected to it, but I don’t think I have it anymore.

What is your favorite movie? I don’t have one favorite, but I’ll watch Grease any time.

What is your go to playlist or song before meets? I have a few options… This season I listened to a WIDE range of music before meets: J.Cole, Rihanna, Troye Sivan, and two of my favorite Spotify playlists, “Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra” and one I created and named “groovy.”

What do you want to be when you grow up? After going through the process of having braces, I like the idea of being a dentist or an orthodontist. Doing something in politics would also be pretty cool.

Where do you go to High School? Neuqua Valley High School

What is your favorite color? Purple!

What do you like to do outside of Gymnastics? I like to read, ride my bike, be outside, spend time on social media, hang out with family and friends, and cook. I love to look up new recipes, get the ingredients, and try them out!

Most embarrassing meet moment or gymnastics moment? I had a freaky warm-up turn in level 8 at the Twistars Invitational. I was on the high bar and one of my hands slipped off on my free-hip, leaving a frantic me trying to do a one armed giant and failing. I ended up crying for a few minutes afterwards.

If you weren’t a gymnast, what sport would you do or try? Track and Field or Lacrosse

Favorite Vacation Destination? I would love to go to Europe! Going to France is on my bucket list.

If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why? I would have lunch with Barack Obama. First, I would just want to become friends with him because he seems like a pretty cool guy. I would want to talk to him about how it feels to be a part of history and ask him about his life journey and what he has learned over time from his life and his presidency.

Tell me something interesting about yourself…. I’m Blasian!

Check out Wesley’s 9.525 bars routine from the 2017 JO Nationals

2017 Level 9 Eastern National Champion Kendall Abney (Twistars USA)

Kim Dowis

May 15, 2017

The last weekend of April, Twistars USA hosted the 2017 Level 9 Eastern National Championships. At Level 9, the second highest JO competitive level, Nationals are contested in two separate locations [East & West] due to the large amount of athletes competing at that level. The Eastern National Championships are comprised of all the states east of the Mississippi River. The top 7 athletes from each region qualify to compete at these championships. Region 5 has a strong history at the Level 9 Nationals of excellence, just like we do with Level 10. This year the Level 9 ladies representing Region 5 came away with the Super Team Title as well as numerous All-Around and individual event titles.

Due to schedule conflicts Region 5 Insider was not able to cover the competition. However, with the help of parents, coaches & athletes we were however able to provide coverage from afar and keep everyone posted of the success of Region 5 at these championships. As part of our championships coverage we sent out questionnaires to the athletes from Region 5 who came away with the top prize, being named Level 9 Eastern National All-Around Champion.

Please enjoy our post meet coverage and interviews with the winners. Below we will start with Junior 1 All-Around Champion & hometown girl Twistars Kendall Abney.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! How does it feel to be the 2017 National Junior 1 All Around!! Tell us how your meet went today? Walk us through each moment of your day, warm ups, events etc…. My meet went pretty well. I had a lot of fun at my first nationals. Once I got to the meet I was feeling nervous and excited. I was happy that I qualified to nationals because there were so many really great gymnasts at regionals. When warm ups started I got into my mindset of competing. I was nervous because I started on beam. I upgraded my series to my hand lay lay. I was a little nervous because this was my first time competing that series and I really wanted to do well. I felt pretty good with my beam routine and was happy I made my new series. I was disappointed because I had a big wobble on my back tuck and almost fell, but I saved it. Next was floor. I was really excited because I love competing floor. I competed my two and a half for the first time. I think I could have done a little bit better on it but overall was pretty happy with my floor routine. Next was vault. I also upgraded my vault to a layout instead of doing a pike. I felt pretty good with it. The last event that I competed was bars. I didn’t upgrade my bar routine at all. I competed the routine that I competed all season. I have been really working on hitting my handstands and sticking the dismount. I was pretty happy with my bar routine, but I think I could have done a bit better.

What do you normally do between events to stay focused and ready for the next event? I go through my routines in my head and I mentally prepare myself for the next event.

Tell us about the atmosphere of the meet compared to regular season meets you have been too. The atmosphere in this meet is a lot more excited. The energy is a lot higher than regular meets. All the coaches and gymnasts cheer for each other. It was a lot of fun!

What is it like being part of Region 5 at Eastern Nationals? It is a lot of fun. We got flashing sunglasses and pom pons to use for march in and awards. All of the girls and coaches from Region 5 act as one team event though you might not go to the same gym. Everyone cheers each other on and wants them to do their best!

How has your experience been here at Nationals? What have you been doing besides competing? It was a little different because my gym hosted Nationals so I didn’t get to go anywhere cool. But it was nice to have it at our home gym. I had a lot of family come to watch me which was really great!

When the meet is over what is or what was the first thing you did to celebrate your win? I got a shirt that says National Champion on the back. We took pictures and then I watched my teammates in the next session.

Other than becoming National Champion, what was one highlight of the meet for you today? One of the highlights was being able to meet new girls from all over. Another highlight was making all 3 of my upgraded routines.

Anything crazy or funny happen during your meet today? My coach wore big blue hands that said Region 5 on them! My other coach dressed up in a red, white, and blue costume with a tall hat! My floor music didn’t start from the beginning. That was the first time my music didn’t start right at a competition. So I had to wait for it.

How does Region 5 compare to the other Regions out on the competition Floor? What sets Region 5 apart? Region 5 is really loud! They cheer for each other and are very supportive! We did a cheer before each event!

Who inspired you the most today? What did they say to you? How did you get amped up and motivated today? My coaches inspired me the most. They encouraged me to work hard in the gym everyday. They motivated me to believe that I could do my upgraded skills for this meet. They believed in me and helped me believe in myself. Also, before each event my coaches would tell me I can do this. Brett would have us pick out of a cup to see what cheer we would do before each event.

Check out Kendall beam set from 2017 Level 9 Easterns (look for the Layout Layout!!)

Congratulations to Kendall and the coaching staff of Twistars USA! We definitely see big things for this young athlete in the future as she continues her journey in the sport of Gymnastics.