EWA Gymnasts Compete at Nationals

EWA GYMNASTS COMPETE AT NATIONALS

Two Level 10 gymnasts from Eagle’s Wings Athletics (EWA) competed at National competitions in Dallas the weekend of May 8 - 10. USA Gymnastics (USAG) sponsored the Junior Olympic (JO) National Championships and the National Invitational Tournament at the Dallas Convention Center. The meet was attended by dozens of collegiate recruiters looking at the some of the best talent in the country.

Casey Dreyer, a freshman from Plano, was one of 56 athletes competing in the Junior C division at JO Nationals. She tied for eighth place on balance beam (9.525) and 13^th place all-around (37.725). She earned 9.575 on vault, 9.425 on floor exercise and 9.2 on uneven parallel bars to round out the individual events. Her coaches, Alex Atamas and Helen Verucchi, were pleased with her performance.

USAG also sponsors the Junior Olympic National Invitational (JO-NIT), a competition held to allow an additional 192 athletes the opportunity to compete nationally and be seen by NCAA coaches. Less than one-third of the 1500 Level 10 gymnasts that compete at State competitions are seen at Nationals. USAG developed the JO-NIT so that coaches already in attendance for JO Nationals can see and evaluate more athletes for recruiting purposes.

Allen High School sophomore Makenzie Johnson competed in the Junior D division at the JO-NIT. She tied for silver on vault with a score of 9.375. She earned fifth place on uneven bars (9.025), tied for eighth on balance beam (9.05) and took seventh all-around (36.25).

Congrats!!

Congratulations to Casey Dreyer-3rd AA at the Regional level 10 in NM -JO National Championships qualifier! And Makenzie Johnson- NIT qualifier! Way to go girls!!!!

Women’s Regionals

WOMEN’S REGIONALS

The USAG women’s Level 9 & 10 Regional Championships were held the same weekend in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Level 10 Casey Dreyer competed in the Junior C division, taking bronze all-around (37.725) out of 14 competitors. She earned fourth place on balance beam (9.55), fifth on floor exercise (9.55), sixth on uneven parallel bars (9.225) and seventh on vault (9.4). As one of the top 7 all-around finishers in her age group, she qualified to the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Championships to be held in Dallas.

Makenzie Johnson, also Level 10, competed in the Junior D division. Competing against 24 other gymnasts, Johnson placed sixth on bars (9.3), eighth on vault (9.275), and ninth on floor (9.4) to earn tenth place all-around (36.85). She will compete at the National Invitational Tournament, held in conjunction with Junior Olympic Nationals next month.

EWA Gymnast is State Champion

EWA GYMNAST IS STATE CHAMPION

Casey Dreyer got a surprise several days after competing in the USA Gymnastics (USAG) Level 10 State Championships held at TWU in Denton March 20.

According to a chart posted online by Texas USAG, the Eagle’s Wings Athletics (EWA) gymnast was assigned to and competed in the Jr. B session, earning second place all-around. However, due to an error by Texas USAG, Dreyer competed in the wrong age group. The error was not made public until results from the meet were posted online a few days later.

When her scores were put with those of her age group, she learned that she had tied for the honor of Level 10 Jr. C balance beam state champion. She also placed fourth all-around (37.525) after tying for fourth place on vault (9.45), and earning 9.525 (7^th) on floor exercise and 8.925 (9^th) on uneven parallel bars.

Makenzie Johnson also competed, tying for fourth place all-around (37.375) in the Sr. A division. She earned 9.4 on floor (6^th), 9.35 on bars (6^th) and beam (9^th), and 9.275 on vault (8^th). Both girls qualified to advance to the Region 3 Championships to be held in New Mexico in April.

They are coached at EWA by Helen Verucchi and Head Coach Alex Atamas.

Women Compete at Natia Comaneci Invite

WOMEN COMPETE AT NADIA COMANECI INVITE

The Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy hosted the annual Nadia Comaneci Invitational in Oklahoma City, where two EWA gymnasts received the Spirit Award. Makenzie Johnson and Isabella Gordillo received custom Nadia Comaneci Invitational watches, from Comaneci herself, for their outstanding performances on floor exercise.

Level 10 Johnson also won first place on vault with a score of 9.475, and third on floor (9.45) and uneven parallel bars (8.8) to win silver all-around (36.375) in the age 15 division. Casey Dreyer was the floor exercise champion in the age 13-14 group, winning that event with a score of 9.45. She also took second place on vault (9.05).

Natalie May won silver on both floor (9.6) and bars (9.075), and bronze on vault (9.3) to earn second place all-around (36.55) in the Level 7, 12 and over division. Gordillo took second on floor (9.55) and third on vault (9.3) in the 11-year old group, while Sierra Thain took silver on bars (9.175) in the age 9-10 division.

Level 4 gymnast Abbie Haigwood was the vault champion with a score of 9.5. Abigail Johnston won floor exercise (9.3) and took third place on vault (9.375) and balance beam (8.7). Both girls competed in the age 6-7 division.

USAG Girls at WOGA Classic

USAG GIRLS AT WOGA CLASSIC

Sabrina Schwab, a Level 10 gymnast competing in the ages 8 – 13 group, won four gold medals at the WOGA Classic held in Frisco February 12-14. Schwab’s wins came on floor exercise (9.35), vault (9.15), uneven parallel bars (9.175) and all-around (36.025).

Level 10 Makenzie Johnson, competing in the age 14-15 group, tied for first place all-around with a score of 36.65. She also took third place on vault (9.25). Casey Dreyer earned bronze on floor exercise (9.3).

The Level 10 team took home the third place team award.

On the Level 7 team, Natalie May competed in the age 13 and over group and was the balance beam champion (9.475), along with taking second on vault (9.4) and third on floor (9.375) to earn second place all-around (37.3). In the age 11-12 group, Isabella Gordillo was the vault champion (9.6). Sierra Thain took silver on balance beam (9.4) in the age 7-10 division.

The Level 4 team also competed. In the 6 to 7 year-old division, Abbie Haigwood was the floor exercise champion (9.6), and tied for second on vault (9.75) with teammate Abigail Johnston. Haigwood also took third on beam (9.4) and all-around (37.95). Madelyn Johnson earned bronze on floor exercise (9.5). In the eight year-old group, Kynsey Hennen took third place on balance beam with a score of 9.2. The Level 4 team won third place in the team awards.

Four girls competed Level 4 Achievement, earning colored ribbons for scores in a certain range. Earning blue ribbons on vault for scores of 9.0 and above was Alysia Burwinkel and Jillian Goodrich (9.65), and Grace Felton (9.05). Red ribbons for 8.0-8.9 scores were given to Burwinkel on balance beam and floor, Felton on beam and floor, and Keira Cushman on vault.

USAG Women at State Qualifier

USAG WOMEN AT STATE QUALIFIER

EWA’s women’s team competed at the State qualifying meet held at Texas Women’s University in Denton February 5-7. Level 10 Makenzie Johnson was the Senior A all-around champion with a score of 37.325. She also won gold on vault (9.475) and floor exercise (9.4), silver on balance beam (9.575), and bronze on uneven parallel bars.

Casey Dreyer, also Level 10, placed second all-around (36.6) in the Junior B division, having earned second on vault (9.25) and bars (8.925), and third on floor.

Competing Level 7 in the Junior B division, Isabella Gordillo was the all-around champion (38.35) and also won bars with a score of 9.65. She took silver on vault (9.625) and floor (9.6), and bronze on balance beam (9.475).

EWA at Metroplex Challenge USAG Girls

EWA AT METROPLEX CHALLENGE

The Dallas Convention Center was busy the weekend of January 29-31, as it was the venue for gymnastics testing and competitions for teams from around the nation. Eagle’s Wings Athletics (EWA) had their two girls teams participate in the Metroplex Challenge.

EWA’s USA Gymnastics Women’s team, Levels 7 and 10, brought home 13 medals and a trophy. In the Junior B division in Level 7, Isabella Gordilllo brought home four medals, having been crowned all-around champion (37.15) and earning gold on floor exercise (9.675), and balance beam (9.4), and silver on uneven parallel bars (8.725). Teammate Natalie May, in the Senior A division, was the floor exercise champion (9.6), and took second on vault (9.5) and third all-around (36.35).

The Level 10 women’s team took second place in the team competition. Sabrina Schwab and Casey Dreyer competed in the younger division, where Schwab earned 9.4 for second place on balance beam, and Dreyer earned 9.35 for third. Schwab’s all-around score of 36.925 earned her a bronze medal.

Makenzie Johnson, in the older division, earned second on floor exercise (9.25), and third on bars (9.15) and all-around (36.725).

The USAG team at EWA is coached by Helen Verucchi and head coach Alex Atamas.

Gymnasts Win Gold and Meet Olympians

GYMNASTS WIN GOLD AND MEET OLYMPIANS

EWA’s USAG women’s gymnastics team competed at the Texas Prime Meet in Coppell January 23-25, where two Level 7 gymnasts earned gold, lots of gold.

In the Senior A division, Natalie May was the champion on each individual event and the all-around. She earned 9.825 out of a possible 10 on vault, 9.375 on floor exercise, 9.175 on balance beam, and 8.7 on uneven parallel bars, giving her a score of 37.075 all-around.

Isabella Gordillo competed in the Level 7 Junior A division, earning first place on vault (9.725), beam (9.575), floor (9.5) and all-around (38.30). She also earned a bronze medal on bars with a score of 9.5.

Level 10 Casey Dreyer earned a silver medal on vault (9.525) and bronze all-around (36.625) in the Junior division.

Makenzie Johnson, in the Senior division, won third place on vault (9.7), beam (9.3) and all-around (37.050). She was one of the top eight Level 10 gymnasts at the meet, and qualified to compete in the Legendz Classic the following evening. Three World and Olympic champions, Bridget Sloan, Samantha Peszek, and Courtney Kupets, served as team captains. They each had a total of five Level 9 and 10 girls on their team, which took turns competing each of the four events. Johnson was on Team Kupets, which won second place. Team Sloan took first place, and Team Peszek took third.

“Being on Team Kupets was awesome and gave me a taste of what college gymnastics is like,” said Johnson. “Courtney was so energetic and fun to be around.”

The USAG women’s team at EWA is coached by Helen Verucchi and head coach Alex Atamas.

Team Kupets

Congrats to Level 10 Makenzie Johnson who was one of the top eight level 10 gymnasts at the Texas Prime Meet who qualified to compete in the Legendz Classic hosted by Texas Dreams.  Three World and Olympic champion team captains - Bridget Sloan, Samantha Peszek and Courtney Kupets - had five level 9 and 10 girls on their teams, and took turns competing each of the four events.  Makenzie was on Team Kupets, which won 2nd place.  Team Sloan took first place and Team Peszek took third.

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