Faces In The Gym - May 2009

Carleigh Garcia Carleigh Garcia, 10, has been on the team at Gymnastics ETC. since 2006. She placed first on floor, bars and in the all-around at the 2009 USA Gymnastics State Meet. Carleigh is pictured with her coach, Chuck McLallen. Carleigh is a fourth grade honor roll student in the Spanish Immersion program at Frasch Elementary in Sulphur.
Abby Allain Abby Allain, 8, swept the Level 4 2009 Louisiana State Championships for the 8 year old division. She scored a 9.975 on vault, 9.850 on bars, 9.750 on beam and a 9.875 on floor. She set a team record for the all-around with a 39.450. Earlier in the year, Abby scored her first perfect 10.0 on vault and has broken the "magic 39" all-around score twice this season. She's currently training for Level 5 at North Shore Gymnastics. Her coaches are Cay Clesi, Minnie Nunez, Bruce McGartlin and James Guidry.
Violet Williams Violet Williams, 8, finished her Level 5 season with third place on vault, first on bars and third all-around at her State Meet. Violet trains 19 hours a week at Capital Gymnastics. Violet's love for gymnastics began when she was just a year old. She's been in the gym ever since. Violet enjoys all events, but her favorite event is bars.
Kai Yearwood Kai Yearwood, 8, was the Level 6 all-around champion at the Midwest Open, March.6-8, 2009. She trains under Irina Kudina at Lakeshore Academy. Kai's overall score of 37.775 was best in her division and best overall. She also won first place in all four events.
Brooke Wheeler Brooke Wheeler, 8, began her first year of competition as a Level 4. After winning the all-around in her first two meets of the season, she moved up to Level 5. She ended her year as the 2009 Arkansas State Champion on vault with a 9.30. She trains at Cabot Gymnastics. Her coaches are Casey Sheppard and Madison Cloninger.
Chelsea I'Anson Chelsea I'Anson is a Level 8 Gymnast for Interstate Gymnastics. Although she will be retiring in June from gymnastics, the sport will always be a part of her life. She will be attending college at Keene State College in Keene, N.H., this fall. Good luck Chelsea in all you do!
Cypress Academy of Gymnastics Cypress Academy of Gymnastics, Level 6, Age 8 and 9 Boy's Team finished first place in both 2009 Texas State Championships and USA Gymnastics Region 3 Championships. The winning team consist of L to R: Spencer Shumate, Alexei Vernyi, Joel Diaz, Nicholas Fordney and Sam Whiteside. Alexei, Joel and Nicholas also qualified for the 2009 Regional 3 Level 6 Junior Development Team. Cypress' head coach, Tom Meadows, was named 2009 Texas State Coach of the Year along with Igor Vernyi.
Colette, Chelsey, and Jens Christensen Colette, 12, Chelsey, 10, and Jens Christensen, 7, are all South Dakota State Champions. Colette is Level 8, and won vault and bars at the State meet, taking home the all-around silver medal with a score of 36.6. Chelsey won the all-around title in Level 7 with an all-around score of 37.2. Jens was the State men's Level 5 champion in pommel and parallel bars. All siblings are on teams at Just Jymnastics in Rapid City, South Dakota, and are coached by Tim Trimble, Melissa Stanton, and Tracy & Alan Ponto. The siblings report they were inspired by their favorite Olympic gymnasts, whom they met earlier in the season.
Makenna Clarke Makenna Clarke, age 8, was a Level 4 gymnast for the 2008-2009 season. It was her first year of competitive gymnastics, and she finished the season with wins on bars, floor and in the all-around, at the Indiana-South State Meet. Her total all-around score was 37.775. Makenna trains at Indiana Gymnastics Center.
Nathan and Chase ClingmanNathan Clingman, 10, is a Level 5 gymnast and the Region 7 All-Around Champion for 2008. Chase Clingman, 7, is a Level 4 gymnast and the All-Around State Champion in Virginia. Both brothers train at Apex Gymnastics under coaches Vladimir Shamenko and Denise Rowell. The Apex Boys' team closed out the gymnastics season by qualifying five boys to the Junior Olympic Nationals. In addition, Boys Level 5 and Level 9 earned first place at the 2009 Virginia State Championship and Boys Level 4 secured a second place finish.
Drako Wise Drako Wise is the 2009 Level 6 Tennessee All-Around State Champion in the 8 to 9-year-old age division. He won first place on rings, parallel bars, high bar and pommel horse, and second place on vault. The Region 8 men's competition was held in Miami, Fla., where Drako earned the title of Ring Champion with a score of 15.55. He is training at TAG Gymnastics and is coached by Larry Denham.
Ragan Smith Ragan Smith, 8, is a Level 7 gymnast at Gymnastix Training Center. Ragan won the all-around title in her state meet with a 38.85, which was also the high score for the entire Georgia Level 7 State meet. She finished in first place on beam (9.80), floor (9.725), and bars (9.825). She is coached by Annette Kaiser and Sergei Romanov.
Maria Helein Maria Helein, 10, has just completed her Level 7 season. She wrapped up Level 7 by winning her third State All-Around title in a row, having previously taken home the All-Around for Level 5 and Level 6. Her Level 7 team had a phenomenal season, winning first place at State, too! She trains at Oshkosh Gymnastics Center in Wisconsin under Leah LeClair.
Isabella Salafia Isabella Salafia is the New Jersey State Champion on vault. Isabella competed at State Meet in the Level 4 Novice, 7 year old Sr. Division. She recorded a 9.90 on vault, securing her first place, along with a new state record! Isabella is now training Level 5. Isabella trains at Northern Elite Gymnastics and Cheer, under the direction of her coaches Sergio and Jackie Estrada, Val & Tati Tcheremnykh and Sylvia Bryant.
Paige Donaldson Paige Donaldson, 8, is a Level 4 gymnast from Tulsa, Okla. In 10 meets this year, she won the All-Around five times. She placed in the top three 37 times (including all around medaling), winning first place honors 14 times. In May, she topped it all off by winning the Oklahoma State Championship for the second year in a row, and she did it all with only six hours a week gym time.
Adison Shiffler After winning first place on bars, beam and in the all-around at Georgia's Prep Op Platinum State Meet, Adison Shiffler, 11, was selected to represent Team Georgia in the Region 8 Championships. Team Georgia took second place. In the individual awards, Adison placed first on bars and in the all-around with a 38.325. She received three state titles and two regional titles in her first Optional season. She trains at North Metro Gymnastics Center.
Kacie JohnsonKacie Johnson, 10, is currently a Level 4 gymnast at Flipstar Gymnastics Academy. She is the Illinois State Champion on floor and bars. At State, she finished fourth place in the all-around. Kacie has been in gymnastics since age 3 and loves it!
Sydney LimaSydney Lima, 7, is a Level 4 gymnast from Summerville YMCA Gymnastics Club and is coached by Susie Vahala. She placed third all-around at FlipFest in Knoxville, Tenn., and third all-around at Tiger Paw, in Clemson, S.C. The icing on the cake was winning first on Beam and Bars, third on Floor and Vault and securing the all-around title in the South Carolina State Meet.
Aubrey HinsonAubrey Hinson, 14, is a Level 9 gymnast at Georgia Elite Gymnastics and is coached by Bridget Boyd. In her age group she is the 2009 Georgia State all-around champion, took second place in the all-around at Regional Championships and first place on beam at the Level 9 Eastern Championships.
GK GymnasticsNathan Williams, Kenneth Barnish, Dawson Scheid and Reese Lyons of GK Gymnastics, took the top four positions at the 2009 Level 5 Colorado State Championship and the same four boys took the same top four positions at the 2009 Region IX Championships held in Colorado Springs. Their team took first at the State Championship and the Region IX Championship and all nine members of their team qualified for the Region IX Championship. Their coach is Kyle Kirkpatrick.
Abigail SullivanAbigail Sullivan took first place honors at the 2009 SoCal Level 7 State Championships in the 11-year old age division. Abigail earned two event gold medals with scores of 9.800 on floor and 9.625 on uneven bars; a silver on vault with a 9.575, and placed fourth on beam with a score of 9.625. She took the all-around title with a score of 38.625, the highest score across all age divisions. Abigail trains in Costa Mesa at Gym-Max Gymnastics Academy under coaches Jenny and Howie Liang.
Bailey GoenBailey Goen, a Level 7 with Cassell Gymnastics, is coached by Phil Bishop. She took first place on beam with a 9.25 at the Michigan Level 7 State Meet in Rochester, Mich., on May 2. She also took fourth place all-around with a 36.15 in the Junior A, 12 Year Old Division.
Austin RaftopoulosAustin Raftopoulos, a 10 year old Level 5 gymnast, won first place on floor (15.8), vault (14.85), parallel bars (15.1), high bar (15.55) and in the all-around (92.25). He also took second on pommel horse (15.8) and fifth on rings (15.15). Austin was the 2009 USAG State and Regional 8 Champion.
Declan McDermottDeclan McDermott, 6, is a level 4 gymnast at Harbor City Gymnastics in Melbourne Florida and competed in the Florida State Championships on March 15, 2009. He is a state champion on HighBar and Pommel. He finished second in P-Bars and Vault, third in Rings , and fourth on Floor. He placed second in the All-Around. He is coached by Mark Q.

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