BARTLESVILLE GYMNASTICS CLUB COMPETES IN TULSA COMPETITON
Bartlesville Gymnastic Club’s Lydia Pierce participates in the Pride Invitational in Tulsa..
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Bartlesville Gymnastic Club (BGC) battlers didn’t travel recently to a Tulsa competition just to dance around.
Energized by an inspiring exertion by the Level 10 crew, the BGC emoted into championship style,
BGC warriors won the All-Around title in three divisions — XCEL Silver Senior A (Alia Calhoun, 38.425), XCEL Gold, ages 8-9.5 (Haylee Clark, 38.375) and USA Level 7, age 13 (Brooklyn Sylvester, 37.225).
Also deserving of special notice was Raynie Ketcher who finished as All-Around runner-up in Level 10, the most difficult classification in USA Gymnastics.
Her teammates Lydia Pierce and Kinlee Littleford finished third and fourth All-Around, respectively, powering the BGC to the second-place Level 10 team trophy.
“Level 10 is hard as it requires mastery of highly complex skills and requires a level of dedication unlike any other sport,” said Lorrie Bertolet, the Executive Director of the BGC. “Only approximately five percent of gymnasts in the United States reach Level 10.”
The BGC boasted amazing performances in several divisions.
Calhoun (XCEL Silver) won three individual events (vault, balance beam and floor exercise) on her way to the All-Around crown.
In the XCEL Gold battles, Clark won the vault and the uneven bars finished second on the beam and floor.
Hadley Everitt (XCEL Gold) claimed two individual titles (bars, floor).
Ketcher (Level 10) seized the top spot on the beam and the floor.
In the category of team success, the BGC won the XCEL Gold title while the club’s XCEL Silver and USA Level 8 crews each came in third.
“This season has started out strong and we still have many improvements to make,” Bertolet said. “I could not be more grateful and proud of the coaching staff. Abi Matthews and Rachel Coyle have done an amazing job coaching, mentoring and preparing these athletes for high level gymnastics and instilling a work ethic that this sport demands, which they will use the rest of their lives.”
Next up, the BGC is set to travel to Anaheim, Calif., for a major meet that will be hosted by Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden.
PRIDE INVITATIONAL
BARTLESVILLE GYMNASTICS RESULTS
(Only top three finish on individual event is listed.)
USA Level 7 (age 13)
Brooklyn Sylvester: 1st place All-Around (37.225); Bars (1st, 9.55), Floor (3rd, 9.4).
Chloe Canipe: 3rd place All-Around (36.475); Bars (3rd, 9.0), Beam (9.475, 1st).
__________
USA Level 8 (11-and-under)
Trinity Stephens: 5th place All-Around (36.925).
Burklee Orphin: 6th place All-Around (36.7); Bars (1st, 9.675), Beam (2nd, 9.475).
Harper Maudlin: 8th place All-Around (36.375).
Hayden Littleford: 9th place All-Around (35.775).
__________
USA Level 9 (ages 13-14)
Lyndsey Lief: 5th place All-Around.
__________
USA Level 10 (Sr A)
Lydia Pierce: 3rd place All-Around (35.0); Floor (1st, 8.825).
__________
USA Level 10 (Jr)
Raynie Ketcher: 2nd place All-Around (36.475); Vault (3rd, 9.35), Beam (1st, 9.45), Floor (1st, 9.475).
Kinlee Littleford: 4th place All-Around (33.75); Beam (3rd, 9.0).
__________
XCEL SILVER (Sr A)
Alia Calhoun: 1st place All-Around (38.425); Vault (1st, 9.675), Bars (3rd, 9.525), Floor (1st, 9.65), Floor (1st, 38.425).
__________
XCEL SILVER (Jr A)
Sophia Johnson: 4th place All-Around (37.775); Vault (2nd, 9.475).
Brielle Vernon: 6th place All-Around (37.175); Floor (2nd, 9.45)
__________
XCEL GOLD (ages 8-9.5)
Haylee Clark: 1st place All-Around (38.275); Vault (1st, 9.55), Bars (1st, 9.725), Beam (2nd, 9.6).
__________
XCEL GOLD (ages 9.5-10)
Aurora Brown: 2nd place All-Around (37.8); Vault (3rd, 9.275), Bars (1st, 7.25), Beam (2nd, 9.6).
Brinley Everitt: 3rd place All-Around (37.45); Bars (2nd, 9.625), Beam (1st, 9.625).
__________
XCEL GOLD (age 10B)
Hadley Everitt: 2nd place All-Around (37.675); Bars (9.625), Floor (1st, 9.55).
Rylee Laxson: 3rd place All-Around (37.5); Vault (2nd, 9.4), Bars (2nd, 9.45), Beam (1st, 9.725).