(From left) Door County YMCA Xcel Silver gymnasts Taiya Couperus, Milana Reifsnyder, Adela Cordua-Stenzel, Maisie Kelnhofer, Genevieve Gigstead, Jessa Varney, Emma Higginbotham, Louisa Grenfell, Peyton Watermelon, Annabel Smullen, Hailey Clark, Piper Delarwelle, Jackson Varney and Cosette Orrick pose for pictures on the podium after placing first as a team at last weekend’s YMCA state tournament in West Bend. Submitted.
The Door County YMCA Strivers’ Xcel Silver gymnasts have won a YMCA state gymnastics title for the third year in a row.
The team recorded the three-peat with a score of 112.375 to edge out nine teams this past weekend in West Bend, where the Kettle Moraine YMCA hosted this year’s state tournament.
The Striver Silvers feature 14 new team members this season, ages 9-13, with all 14 in their first season of competition for the YMCA team.
In addition to the team’s state title, the Silvers returned home with eight individual state titles.
Emma Higginbotham, competing in the 12-and-up age category, led the team with three individual gold medals. She placed first in the all-around competition with an overall score of 37.45, as well as winning on the balance beam with a 9.1 and vaulting to victory with a 9.375.
Teammate Jessa Varney (10 and under) won two individual titles in the all-around with a 37.20 and on vault with a 9.3. Annabel Smullen (10 and under) placed first on the floor, scoring 9.6. Piper Delarwelle (10 and younger) placed first on the bars, scoring 9.675. Jackson Varney placed first on the floor with a 9.6.
The Strivers’ Xcel Gold team placed third out of 12 teams competing and also won four individual state titles. Lauren Gaida (14 and up) won two individual titles. Evelynn Kelsey (12-13) won gold on the floor with a 9.725, and sister Ellie Kelsey (10 and under) placed first on the beam with a 9.0.
Top performances by the Strivers’ Level 8 gymnasts included: Estelle Duerst, fourth on beam, fifth on bars and eighth in the all-around; and Amira Anschutz, fifth on floor.
The Strivers’ Platinum-level gymnast, Shaylyn Asher, placed fourth on beam and sixth on bars.
The Strivers will be competing in this year’s YMCA Gymnastic Nationals taking place during late June in the Green Bay area at the Resch Expo. Olympian Jordan Chiles will be the keynote speaker.
