2017 Level 9 Eastern National Champion Q&A with Kayta Sanders (Perfection)

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May 20, 2017

Our next Region 5 Level 9 Eastern National Champion hails from Perfection School of Gymnastics in Ohio. Kayta Sander not only won the Junior 6 All-Around she also swung to the National Bar title as well.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! How does it feel to be the 2017 National Bar and All Around Junior 6 Champion? After restlessly training at the gym day in and day out and sacrificing so much, knowing that you are one of the best at the thing you love to do is an amazing feeling.

Tell us how your meet went today? Walk us through each moment of your day, warm ups, events etc… Coming into the most challenging meet I’ve been to in my entire gymnastics career, I was both nervous and excited. More than anything, I wanted to hit 4 for 4. At Regionals, I fell on bars and was still lucky enough to win, but I knew that wouldn’t be the case for Easterns. However, I also knew that this was going to be an experience that I would never forget and wanted to enjoy every moment. When I first came in and started warming up, I told my friend and Perfection teammate, Eliza Millar, who also made the Junior 6 Region 5 Team, that as long as we could get through bridges during warm up, we could do anything. Soon after we survived the hardest part of the meet, we began learning everyone else’s name on the team and getting to know one another. Our first event was beam. I was really happy with my workout on beam the previous day and was hoping I could just compete the same routine I practiced. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. Despite having a good beam warm up, I ended up falling on my flight series– not my favorite way start a meet. I tried to stay positive, and with all of my region 5 teammates supporting and cheering me up, it was easy. Before floor, I remember thinking to myself ‘Hey, if you get a 10.0 on all of the other events, you could get a 38.875 and that’s really good!’. Of course I knew that wasn’t going to happen, but it made me laugh a little and gave me some hope!! I did my floor routine and I felt like the passes were pretty good in the air but all of my landings were a bit off. At that point, I thought for sure that winning was out of the question, so I tried focusing on just cheering on my amazing team and enjoying the whole experience. After me on floor was Eliza, and she did such a beautiful floor routine and I was so so happy for her. Next was vault. The whole week leading up to meet day, along with the day of training earlier, my vaults were “unorthodox” as my coach, ET, would call them. Thank goodness my normal vaults decided to come back during my vault warm up. I competed one good vault (the second was a little cray), and was really happy with how I did. Then, came bars (the event I had a love-hate relationship with). I just wanted to let whatever happened happen and be happy that routine assignments would be over. That was until my coach, Enrique told me something. He said “Katya, I am telling you this because I think you can handle it. You are in 9th place right now. But if you go out there and hit one of your best routines, you can still win.” And that sort of changed everything. I went into my last routine of the season with the mindset that I really have nothing to lose. I was very last on bars and the energy was super high. I tried my best to be aggressive, hit all of my handstands, and stick the landing. After my routine, everyone was congratulating me and I was overjoyed.

What do you normally do between events to stay focused and ready for the next event? Being completely honest, I really don’t stay focused in between events. For the most part I am just talking and dancing around, or in this case chatting with the new friends I made. I feel like doing this helps me not take things too seriously, enjoy the moment, and just have fun!! I do however try to drink lots of water and stretch a good amount between events so that I stay warm, etc.

Tell us about the atmosphere of the meet compared to regular season meets you have been too. The atmosphere of nationals is like no other meet you will ever go to. Unlike regular season meets, although the other gymnasts in your group are your competition, you don’t see them that way. We aren’t strangers or rivals nor are we from opposing states or club gyms. We are just one team that’s working towards the same goal; winning. The energy is also super high and the whole meet is very exciting.

What is it like being part of Region 5 at Eastern Nationals? (be descriptive) I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am to be a part of Region 5. During Eastern Nationals, all of the coaches and gymnasts were so so sweet and supportive. I remember after falling on beam, my region 5 teammates all gave me hugs and high fives and motivated me to not give up, as well as the coaches. The coaches also do a fabulous job at keeping the energy as high as possible.

How has your experience been here at Nationals? What have you been doing besides competing? Although you wouldn’t think Lansing, Michigan a very glamourous place, I had the best time. At the banquet which took place at Michigan State University, my teammates and I took crazy pictures, probably ate too many sweets, and took up way too much space on the dance floor. My experience here at Nationals is one I will never forget.

When the meet is over what is or what was the first thing you did to celebrate your win? While it would be nice to go to DisneyLand, my family, and my teammates, and I usually just go out to lunch or dinner together. This time I celebrated with a strawberry milkshake!

Other than becoming National Champion, what was one highlight of the meet for you today? The highlight of my meet had to be finishing my bar routine. Afterwards, my coaches all told me that they were proud of me and the giant hugs definitely proved it. Because I went last, I was able to finish region 5 off on a high note as well. I received high fives from all around and congratulations from many. It didn’t cross my mind that I had won until I realized I was getting an unnecessary amount of congratulations. Once I knew, I was pretty excited. It was also super awesome that some of my teammates came to support me all the way from Ohio and Kentucky (shoutout to Kelly and Maddy, love you guys ;)).

Anything crazy or funny happen during your meet today? I have to say, one of the region 5 coaches was quite the hype man. He was very good at making sure there was never a dull moment, and even made a cup full of popsicle sticks with cheers on them,

labeled with what event they were for. They were all very silly and pumped everyone up before each event. My coach, Luke, also attempted to tell a funny joke, which was pretty funny… The attempt, not the actual joke.

How does Region 5 compare to the other Regions out on the competition Floor? What sets Region 5 apart? The answer is they don’t. The other Regions can’t even compare to Region 5 out on the competition Floor. It’s not that we are better or any more talented. We just support and are cheer one another on. We want each person to do their very best, even if it means it changes your place on the podium because we are a team and that’s what teams do.

Who inspired you the most today? What did they say to you? How did you get amped up and motivated today? I am of course thankful for all of my friends, family, and teammates for supporting and motivating me throughout the whole season, but my coaches in particular all inspire me in ways I can’t even begin to thank them for. My bar coach, Enrique, gave me hope that I still had a chance to place and encouraged me to go out and give it my all. My floor and vault coach, Luke, never fails to remind me to have fun and take things one at a time. And last but not least, my sweet beam coach, Debbie, always gives me confidence that I didn’t even know I had.

Day 2 JO Nationals 2017 | Region 5 Gymnastics Highlights

By

Jason MacDonald

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May 19, 2017

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2017 Level 10 JO Nationals Gymnastics Day 2 Highlights. This video features our Region 5 junior and senior D, E and F’s. The Junior F’s claimed our 2nd national age group title of the weekend. Two more individual all around champions were crowned both in the F age groups with Matilyn Waligora (Olympia) JRF and Nia Dennis (Legacy Elite) SRF. Region 5 finished 3rd in the overall super age group team competition behind Region 1 and Region 3.

Coaches Wired: Ruth Miller, Oakland Gymnastics | Nothing In Your Head But Your Words!

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Jason MacDonald

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May 17, 2017

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Ruth Miller owner of Oakland Gymnastics was wired up during JR A beam warm-ups and competition at the 2017 Level 10 JO National Gymnastics Championships. Listen in as Ruth gives her daughter Savannah little corrections and mental cues to help get her ready for her first JO Nationals beam routine.

HeadGames Website (Sports Psychology): https://www.headgameswebcamp.com/

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

By

Kim Dowis

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May 17, 2017

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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

By

Kim Dowis

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May 16, 2017

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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