presented by: A1 Awards
Championships time is here in Region 5. Region 5 Championships will take place in Fort Wayne Indiana at the Turnstone Center (Plassman Athletic Center) beginning Thursday April 13th.
Each year we highlight athletes from each of our 5 states. You might not know these names, but we think you should watch out for for these athletes as they compete for a spot on their first 2023 Region 5 Dream Team for Level 10.
Here are 6 ones to watch from Illinois:
Karalyn Key (Midwest Elite) Junior B
Karalyn is in her 2nd year of Level 10. She finished just out of the top 10 in Junior A in 2022. Her Yurchenko full vault ranks among the best in her age group every meet. She is coming off a solid effort at state meet and with a solid performance across the board, should be in the mix in Junior B.
Kate Peebles (Phenom) Junior D
Kate has really jump the ranks this season. After coming off a top 7 finish in the all around at the 2021 Level 9 Easterns, Kate had a few struggles as a first year 10 in 2022. However, she coming off her best all around performance at state. She finished 2nd on beam at state along with solid efforts on floor and vault.
Kyler Webster (Aspire) Senior A
Kyler is in her 2nd year of level 10 and made a gym change after the 2022 season. She has lots of power and competed a double layout on floor a year ago (however have not seen it in 2023). Her Yurchenko full has the potential to be one of the best in the region.
Julia Rausa (Libertyville) Junior D
Julia is a former Level 9 Eastern AA Champion and is also in her 2nd year of level 10. Her aerial layout step out on beam and Ray on bars helps her gymnastics stand out amongst her competitors.
Annika Chudy (Ultimate) Senior C
Annika has a bit of a different story in her 2nd year of level 10. Annika competes for her high school here in Illinois which presents some challenges when it comes to USAG competition. She continues to make leaps in her all around performances and tied for 2nd with this beam routine at state. Her toe front half off bars is a piece of beauty.
Zoe Claiborne (BIG) Senior A
Zoe has been a level 10 for the last four years. She also made a gym change this past season and seems more confident in her gymnastics. Her vault is probably her most consistent of the four events but has awesome potential on bars as she has one of my favs, a Deltchev on bars.
