Flip-N-Out Gymnastics sending girls to national meets
Congratulations: Flip-N-Out Gymnastics had 24 gymnasts and four competitive cheerleading squads qualify to compete at national meets. Many of the gymnasts also are on the cheerleading squads. Beacon photo by Josie Sellers
KIMBOLTON – Gymnastics is Brianna Brown’s life and she is just one of many dedicated girls from Flip-N-Out Gymnastics who are taking their skills to nationals.
“All 24 members of our gymnastics team qualified, but we aren’t sure who is going to be able to go yet,” said Wendy Guilliams, who owns the gym. “It’s in Las Vegas June 10-14, and we are planning fundraisers to help the girls pay for the trip.”
Last year eight of her gymnasts were able to make the trip to nationals in what was only her first year of business.
“It has taken lots of practice and a lot of patience from the coaches to get us back there,” Guilliams said. “Some of them couldn’t even do cartwheels when they started here.”
The gym also has four competitive cheerleading squads that will be going to their national meet May 9-10, in Virginia Beach, Va. This is the first year the gym has had competitive cheerleading.
“Most of the cheerleaders had never done the sport before this year and I’ve never coached cheerleading before now,” Guilliams said.
Sydney Starcher is pumped to be part of the cheerleading squads.
“I like being able to compete,” she said. “It’s exciting. It took a lot of hard work to get to nationals and I hope we do really good.”
The cheerleaders range in age 4-16 and the gymnasts are ages 5-15.
Brown is excited to make a return trip to nationals.
“I feel like I got better and I’m really looking forward to vault,” she said.
This also will be Lexi Leasure and Grace Gottwalt’s second trip to nationals.
“It’s an intense experience because there are so many more people there,” Leasure said.
Gottwalt had a simple, but very important piece of advice for the team’s younger gymnasts.
“Just do your best,” she said.
Brown, Leasure and Gottwalt will be competing with the gymnastics team and the cheerleading squads.
“I have a lot of crossovers,” Guilliams said. “Some of these girls are here five days a week practicing.”
She has high hopes for everyone going to nationals for gymnastics and cheerleading.
“I’d love for them all to place in everything we compete in,” Guilliams said.
The gymnasts must pay a $450 entry fee for their nationals meet and the cheerleaders have a $130 fee and that doesn’t include travel or hotel expenses. Several fundraisers are being planned by the gym’s booster club to help the girls cover their expenses. One way the community can help out is by purchasing a chicken barbecue dinner on Monday, April 27. The meals are $8 and can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 5 to 7 p.m. April 27, at the gym, which is located at 16286 State Route 93 in Kimbolton. Anyone interested in helping to sponsor a gymnasts or cheerleader is welcome to call the gym at 740-202-3081.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: High School, Sports, Youth
