| Locals dominate at nationals |
|
By: DAVID HUNTER, Post Contributor
|
Posted: Sunday, July 11, 2010 5:10 am
|
 Email  Print
|
Gymnastics is one of the most popular events during each Summer Olympics.
With the London Games just two years away, some of the best athletes in that sport are working toward that goal.
On the local level, there is a group called Elite Energy that is proving why they are one of the best in the state. In the past few weeks, several of its athletes competed in local, regional and national events.
At the Eastern National Championships in early May in Charleston, W. Va., 16-year-old Samantha Lutz dominated the event with three wins on bars, floor and the all-around. At the same meet Megan Meadow was 10th in the floor event.
“It was one of those perfect weekends,” Elite Energy coach Greg Dietz said. “It all came together at the right time.”
Dietz added, Lutz will finish high school this year and she is working on receiving a college scholarship
Elite Energy was the only gym in Tennessee to have more than one particapant in the national meet.
The level-nine squad won the state team title at the 2010 Optional State Championships in Memphis at the end of March. Jasmine Arnold led the way and became the state All Around Grand Champion. She also finished first in the balance beam event and placed in the top five in three other events. She was ranked No. 1 in the state in her level.
Lutz had two second place finishes in the vault and the floor. She also completed the all-around in third place. Megan Meadow was the winner in the bars and was fifth in the all-around.
In level eight, 9-year-old Hannah McCrary had a huge performance at the state meet with wins on the vault, bars, floor and was crowned state all-around champion. Coming into the state meet, McCrary was ranked number one in the state in the level-eight division. Sara Wylie Helton finished third in five events at the same meet.
In level seven, 13-year-old Chelsea Graham finished runner-up in four events. Sydney Sykes added a third place in the all-around. Emma Haynes was fifth in the vault and bars, and Chelsea Key placed third on the vault.
Several of the participants also competed at regionals in Tupelo, Miss. during the first weekend in March with Lutz winning two events, the vault and bars and also placed second in the all-around. Meadow was fourth on bars and fifth in the vault. Arnold placed runner-up in the floor.
At the level-eight regionals, McCrary finished fifth in both the vault and beam. Helton pulled off three third places finishes in the vault, bars and all-around.
In the level-seven regional, Chelsea Graham was sixth on the bars.
Their season may have ended, but the team is already preparing for the next one, which begins Sept. 11. |
|
Digg
Facebook
MySpace
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!