The Door County YMCA Strivers Level 8 gymnasts placed first at the Fire and Ice Invitational and include (from left) Estelle Duerst, Daylia Sund, Portia Hah, Amira Anschutz. Submitted.
The Door County YMCA Striver gymnasts won a pair of team titles at last weekend’s Fire and Ice Invitational in West Bend hosted by the Kettle Moraine YMCA.
Level 8 Triumphs
In the Level 8 competition, the Strivers claimed the championship trophy with a team score of 68.8, followed by the Wausau YMCA in second place with 68.35 and La Crosse YMCA in third with 66.15.
Individual highlights for the Level 8 Strivers included:
• Daylia Sund, first in the all-around, vault and floor exercise, and third on bars.
• Estelle Duerst, third on bars, fourth in the all-around and fifth on vault.
• Amira Anschutz, fourth place on vault.
Xcel Silvers Strike Gold
The Strivers’ Xcel Silver team also captured first place with a score of 111.15. The Fond du Lac YMCA finished second at 110.15, while the host team, Kettle Moraine, placed third with 109.4.
Top performances for the Striver Silvers in the nine-and-under age group included:
• Jessa Varney, first in the all-around and bars, third on vault and fourth on beam.
• Genevieve Gigstead, first on vault, second in the all-around and bars and third on floor.
• Annabel Smullen, second on bars and in the all-around, fourth on floor and fifth on beam.
The 10- and 11-year-old age group’s top performers included:
• Peyton Watermolen, first in the all-around and vault, second on beam and bars, and fifth on floor.
• Jackson Varney, first on floor, second in the all-around and beam.
• Maise Keinhofer, third on vault and fifth on bars.
• Hailey Clark, third in the all-around and on floor, and fifth on beam.
In the 12-and-older age group, the Strivers’ Emma Higginbotham placed first in all five categories – all-around, floor, vault, beam and bars.
Xcel Gold Team Takes Silver
The Strivers’ Xcel Gold team, which placed second with a score of 106.25, was narrowly edged out for first by the Green County YMCA with 106.55.
Notable performances for the Strivers in the 12-and-under age group included:
• Sawyer Soukup, first on vault, second on beam, fourth on floor and sixth in the all-around.
• Ellie Kelsey, fifth on beam.
Top finishes in the 12-and-older age group included:
• Lauren Gaida, first in the all-around and beam, second on floor, third on bars and fourth on vault.
• Keira Clark, first on vault.
• Evelynn Kelsey, third on floor.
Platinum Division
In the Platinum division, Shaylyn Asher placed second on beam and third on bars and in the all-around.
Pink Invitational Up Next
The Strivers will return to competition on the weekend of Dec. 7 at the Pink Invitational in Menominee, Michigan, hosted by the Marinette-Menominee YMCA gymnastics team.
