This weekend Regions 5, 6, 7 & 8 all met in Kissimmee, Florida at the Silver Spurs Arena for the 2023 Level 9 Eastern Championships. Jason & I are both in Akron, Ohio at the 2023 Region 5 Xcel Championships living vicariously through those who are there are doing an awesome job providing us with photos, videos and the most amazingly awesome Irving Antics to post. So, keep following along with us as we follow along with them from the Buckeye State to the Sunshine State and everywhere in between.
Region 5 Championships is always a complete mix of emotions but you can pretty much guarantee you will see some top notch gymnastics.
Trouble is a lot is missed….
Lucky for you we have some of those hey you need to press play routines from our level 10’s. The season may have come to a finish at regionals for these athletes, but their routines can be enjoyed over and over again.
Check out these 10 routines that caught our eye at the 2023 Region 5 Championships.
Jacqueline Shin, Midwest Elite– Front entry vaults are becoming a more popular choice again and Jacqueline’s handspring front is always awesome. The no bent legs entry on her vault makes it special not to mention her air awareness to open up and find the landing.
Olivia Dittmar, Bay Valley– Balance Beam is where Olivia is at her best. Her layout layout is second to none and is more times then not rock solid. Unfortunately, I was filming another routine at the time but better believe I had one eye on this routine.
Sophia Paris, JPAC- There are just those bar routines that always make you wanna watch. For me, Sophia is one of those. A hip injury this past year limited her to bars this season and forced her to remove her beautiful stalder Maloney but the alternative is just as nice. She almost seems as if she floats through the air.
Emma Becker, BIG- Keeping the must watch bars going, this routine is another one that I try and catch every meet. Stalders are one of my favorite skills (as an athlete, coach and gym nerd fan) and Emma has a very nice one not to mention a nice Maloney as well.
Madina Rose French, Flip Zone– If you know Madina’s story you can’t help but root for her. However, her gymnastics gives you a reason to keep coming back for more. Another gymnast with a beautiful layout layout on beam, but this floor routine is full of grit and determination with a mix of that in her personality which shines through here.
Grace Briles, Buckeye- Buckeye Gymnastics has some very strong beam workers and one that gets overlooked many times is Grace. This routine was very solid and it feature a well executed kick over front that lands nice and tall.
Sophia Steffen, Legacy Elite– Keeping with the beam theme and top notch beam routines, this one gets some series height off the beam on her skills. I feel like a broken record when I say this but will continue to… NO ONE, I MEAN NO ONE does a front tuck better then Sophia!
Gabrielle Gauger, IK– This athlete might remind you of another IK great… NCAA Gymnastics Aunt herself Olivia Karas. However, Gabrielle is not following in anyones foot steps, she is making her own. She takes the norm to the next level just adding that something you really can’t explain.
Maybe its the beautiful toe on front pike dismount….
Drake White, Flip Zone- This athlete is always fun to watch as her power stands out on all of her events. Drake’s double back middle pass was on point but check out the backward (reverse) double turn. Sometimes it’s the extra that catches your eye the most.
Alexandra Karkowski, IK- IK Gymnastics is home to the Aerial Round off and very good ones at that. One of these is performed by Alexandra, who is a name you probably don’t know, YET! She is a first year level 10 and in typical IK fashion has that stand out skill that makes her different and that would be the front handspring to her knee.
While Region 5 assembled in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 13 & 14 to make our 2023 R5 Dream Teams for the Level 10 Dev Nationals to be held in OKC. Two of our outstanding longtime Dream Team members were competing for their respective familia countries, Finland & Romania, at the 2023 European Championships.
Kaia Tanskanen, Michigan Elite, is no stranger to international competition having represented Finland on the international stage at numerous competitions in 2022, specially claiming the Northern European AA title in front of family and friends in her dads hometown in Finland. Kaia qualified to her 1st AA final in her 2nd European Championships finished 23rd in the event. Team Finland also advanced to the 2023 World Championships, to be held later this year, as a team.
Lilia Cosman, Capital City Flips, competed at the 2022 Romania Junior National Championships in 2022 earning gold on the Uneven Bars as well as Bronze in the AA in the Junior Individual Championships and a spot on the Junior National Team. 2023 Lilia, a first year Senior, competed in her 1st European Championships for Romania on the Vault (13.166) & Uneven Bars (12.666) in the Team Qualifications, two of her best events. As a team Romania had one of their best showings at the European Championships since 2016 placing 5th and qualifying as a team to the World Championships.
2023 European Championship Results
It has been incredible following both teams & athletes on their international journeys! If you want to show your support for Team Tanskanen &/or Team Cosman check out our DanceNastics Designs Store on our main page this coming week under our R5 International tab to support your R5 Teammates as they take on the world.
Dynasty could be happening but Kim are you sure it’s UTAH, Sierra Brooks is the Champion, We had a perfect 10 in region 5, well we had 10 alums at nationals, Region 5 National Champion at the USAG Nationals, It’s a Ring for Torrez, Sad face feelings continues for Davis and the ESPN event streams are the best for behind the scenes crazy! We also announce our R5 College Salute Best of 2023 on each event list.
On this Show:
ALUMonday- Region 5 had a national champion at the USAG Collegiate Championships
Check out those routines and more from our Alums on this weeks Alumonday which is up now on our site.
Karas Kickover-
Fab 5
Dynasty or Not!
Region 5 University- Alums at Nationals
BEST OF 2023
Season MVP
Check out all our 2023 College Salute podcasts
https://region5gyminsider.com/category/region-5-insider-podcast/
ALUMonday on Wednesday……
The NCAA has a few categories that the University programs fall under. The main one is Division 1 which most of the NCAA programs are however even being division 1 doesn’t mean the program has the same scholarship resources for their athletes. The USAG NCAA Nationals took place April 6-8 at Texas Women’s University, and consists of gymnastics programs that are not able to provide the full 12 scholarships that the NCAA allows.
The 12 programs that participate in these nationals have fewer then 12 scholarships and levels the playing field for these programs giving them an opportunity to compete in a NCAA Nationals event thought hosted by USA Gymnastics.
Region 5 had 9 alums participate in these championships with 3 claiming honors during the event finals.
Kaylee Cooper from Lindenwood, who won the 2023 USAG National Team Title, took home top honors on the uneven bars with this 9.875 routine. She ends with a very nice stuck double layout and a very excited reaction to the routine.
Riley Meeks competed in her final competition for Yale at these championships and went out as the 2nd best on beam with this 9.875 routine. She was super solid from start to finish including her stuck gainer pike dismount.
Madison Greene from SEMO vaulted into a tie for 4th with this 9.75 vault. Polly, as we knew her in Region 5, stuck her full twisting Yurchenko cold.
In addition to these event finalist performances, Region 5 had some other outstanding routines that took place in the preliminary competition.
Two of these athletes competed their final routines and wrapped up their gymnastics careers at these championships. Texas Women’s Senior Kyla Podges competed on three events and scored a 9.8 on this floor routine.
Madison Griffith, also a TWU senior, competed on vault and put up a 9.75 on this bar. Check out the power and dynamic swing into her dismount.
Check out more alum performances below:
Sarah (Gracie) Willis, Airforce 9.675 for this very nice Tuck Yurchenko Full Vault
Megan Brueck, Yale 9.625 for this floor routine which features a very nice double back first pass
Lauren Holt, Yale 9.725 on floor and opens with a very nice front double full
Cornell Freshman Cami Whitaker competed on vault and floor scoring 9.7 on both. Unfortunately hadn’t received any video from Cami at the time of this being posted.
