KRAZY In Michigan- 3 exciting meets all in the Mitten state and Kim was there for them all, she might even have some blue blazer stalkers, there was a 4th meet on Monday and we are going to quickly discuss it, Records set and then broken, 3 perfect scores this week, LIU vacationed in Michigan this weekend and poparazzi Kim was all about it We have the NFL, the NBA the MLB but our favorite Gymnastics Aunt might have another 3 Letter combo that killed it in week 9… plus, and we take Kim back to math class
As we approach the championship portion of the Dev Program season (Level 9/10), the elites are gearing up for their 2023 season. The first big competition of the year is the Winter Cup, which this marks only the second year that the women have participated in the event. This competition serves many purposes in the overall training plan of the elite season.
Many of the gymnasts use this competition as a test of new skills or combinations they hope to have consistent in their routines for later this summer. However for most of the athletes, it’s one of those opportunities to achieve the USA Championships qualifying score or place high enough to be selected for international assignments over the next few months.
Region 5 had five participate in this years Winter Cup, 2 seniors and 3 juniors. Leading the way for our region was Izzy Stassi from Buckeye Gymnastics. Izzy finished 6th (51.8) all around in the junior division and qualified to the upcoming junior worlds selection camp. She has shown an upgraded vault this season already but competed her Yurchenko 1 1/2 for 13.4 but did upgrade her mount on beam to a layout step out onto the beam. Her top finish was on her best event bars with 4th place 13.05 for this routine.
video from USA Gymnastics
Carly Weinburg, from Buckeye Gymnastics, competed in her first Winter Cup and showed an upgraded bar routine with a new Weiler kip combo, strong beam set that included a new side somi (12.4) and solid landings on floor (12.8) and 4th place tie on the event.
video by USA Gymnastics
2022 Winter Cup Junior Champion Ella Kate Parker, who returned to Cincinnati Gymnastics only a few weeks prior to Winter Cup, had the 5th best beam routine for juniors (13.0). She moved through her routine with very little pause and nailed her aerial layout series which is one of the best you will see. Welcome back Ella!
video by USA Gymnastics
This Winter Cup served as the senior elite debut for two of our Region 5 athletes. Former junior national team member Gabby Van Frayen from Gym Xtreme competed on three events in her first Winter Cup as a senior. Gabby who is still working back from injury has added two new tumbling passes on floor; triple full and front layout front double full which she was slightly off but improvised quickly with some dramatic choreography to attempt to cover the fall, loved it! Her top score came on vault with a very nice Yurchenko full (12.95)
Kelise Woolford from Buckeye made the jump too elite after Level 10 Nationals last year and made it all the way to USA Championships. Now in only her 2nd season as an elite, finds herself in the senior division. She had some struggles but has added a side somi to her beam and toe full before her Maloney on bars. Her Yurckenko full on vault produced her top score of the competition with a 12.8.
These five talented athletes are always fun to watch and it will be exciting to see where this 2023 season takes them.
This years edition of the Nastia Cup took center stage in Region 5. Freedom Hall in downtown Louisville, Kentucky was transformed into the podium framed competition arena that is common place at elite level events. The Nastia Cup is held in conjunction with the Winter Cup and Region 5 was represented by 5, all of which all competed at the 2022 Level 10 Nationals or the Wild Card.
Leading the way for Region 5 was the only athlete from our region with Nastia Cup experience. Hannah Scheible, All American Flames and soon to be Sooner, competed in the 2022 Cup. She had the highest vault score of the entire competition 9.9 for her huge front pike 1/2 (video below). Hannah had a strong start to the competition on floor with a 9.725 despite stepping out of bounds on her full in first pass. She found herself in contention for the title after vault but missed her jaeger on bars in the 3rd rotation dropping her to 11th in the all around.
video from USA Gymnastics
Ady Wahl from Zanesville, had a bus full of fans come to support her efforts in her first Nastia Cup. She started with a bit shaky performance on beam and had a lot of extra power with a big hop on her Yurchenko 1 1/2 vault but finished strong with her new double layout dismount and 9.625 on bars.
Legacy Elite has had a long list of talented athletes compete at the Nastia Cup and they added two more to that list in 2023. Taylor DeVries, who will be a freshman at Oregon State in the fall, had some struggles in the competition but competed one of the only two layout full out dismounts on bars and the only triple full on floor and a solid 9.65.
Madison Stewart (aka Taz), from Legacy Elite, was amongst the top in the junior competition until her last event bars. However you would have never known it since she was not featured on the Nastia broadcast until the last rotation which was bars. Maddie is known for her power and her very nice Yurchenko 1 1/2 was tops in the junior division with a 9.8. Maddie finished in a tie for 8th in the all around despite her fall on her bars.
video from USA Gymnastics
Esphyr Karen from Perfection has made huge improvements over the last year. Esphry was a wild card on floor at last years Level 10 nationals but has increased her difficulty. Esphyr had a “that’s how you do a triple flight” 2 handsprings layout step out which bared her gym name PERFECTION! But it was her very nice double layout off bars that helped her reach her top score of the competition at a 9.25 and a top 10 finish on the event.
