Davis Diamonds in Halloween Jamboree

Last Saturday, eight gymnasts from Davis Diamonds Gymnastics made the trip to Oroville for the annual Halloween Jamboree. Paticipating this year were 144 gymnasts representing 13 teams from all over northern California. The beautiful Oroville Gymnastics Sports Academy was decorated as a haunted house and the coaches wore costumes. Davis Diamonds had three gymnasts in the middle level 5 age group. Kasia Shebloski nailed her beam routine, receiving 8.90 from the judges, placing third. Strong scores on bars and floor put Kasia into eighth all-around with 32.80. Maggie Gilbreath had a phenomenal second vault that scored 8.55 for second place. Maggie finished tenth all-around with 32.35, despite a strong case of nerves. Sydney Six also attacked her beam routine for a 8.60 (eighth), finishing fifteenth all-around with 31.35. "More important than their medals are these all-around scores," explained head coach Hilde Aune. "In their old gym, Kasia, Maggie and Sydney didn't progress, but after one year with Davis Diamonds, they have made the qualifying score for level 6. Now all of our level 5s have qualified for the next level. We are very proud of what the girls have accomplished already." In the middle level 4 age group, the scoring was very tight. But Alex Willoughby won vault again (9.375) for the third meet in a row. Alex finished strong on the other events too, for example scoring 9.025 on beam (third), and placed second all-around with 34.775. Irene Whalen had her best meet ever, doing her kip in her bar routine for the first time, and placing fifth on bars. Whalen then won beam with 9.075, finishing fourth all-around with 33.875. Lillian Krovoza was also strong, placing eighth all-around with 33.075. In the youngest division, Lily Wolfe had another great meet on all four events. Lily had no places lower than third and finished second all-around (33.675). In the oldest level 4 division, Alex Levine finished sixth all-around with a strong score of 32.55 despite a fall on beam. "These level 4s have become seasoned gymnasts and competitors in their first year. We are looking forward to the zone championships in Chico next weekend and level 5 next year," exclaimed coach Brianne Ratto.

Diamonds Chang Wins Big

Sunday, October 24, Davis Diamonds Gymnastics Lani Chang won the Level 5 all-around in the annual Harvest Moon Invitational Gymnastics meet, hosted by Head Over Heels Gymnastics in Emeryville. "Competing in the Bay Area is always tough. This time the judging on bars and floor was so severe that the slightest wobble would have put Lani out of the running. This was a big meet with many good teams and gymnasts; very tough competition. That Lani could win here is really big. We are all so proud of her," explained coach Hilde Aune. This year this USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics sanctioned meet had 185 participants from Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Redding, Windsor and Davis. The organizers had a waiting list to get in. Lani placed in the top four on all four events to win the all-around with 34.85, her third victory in three meets. Lani's teammates also did well. Emmi Koivunen was very consistent in the oldest division, placing on every event. Emmi finished seventh all-around with an excellent 32.25. Mallory Barnes did her best beam routine ever, scoring 8.275 (tenth) and nineteenth all-around. Maya Giannetti forgot some of her beam routine, finishing twenty-second all-around. "The Davis Diamonds Level 4 team also had a great meet against equally tough competition. They attacked their routines. They started on beam where all eight hit their routines, all scoring over 8.0. Not one fall!" exclaimed coach Brianne Ratto. Last up, Astrid Aune won beam with 9.00. In the youngest division, Lily Wolfe had another strong meet with no scores below 8.0, scoring 33.325, seventh all-around. Courtney Meyer was eighth all-around (32.475) in the junior division. Natalie Serdahl had her best meet to date, finishing thirteenth all-around. Also having her best meet, Kelly Chuck was right behind in sixteenth all-around. In the senior division, Alex Willougby won vault again (9.25) and placed second on bars. A sloppy floor routine put her in second place all-around (33.80). Alex Levine was fourth on vault and seventh all-around. Besides winning beam, Astrid Aune finished eighth on vault and all-around. In the last session of a long day, the Davis Diamonds level 6 gymnasts had a tough meet. Chloe Shorts finished thirteenth in the children's division. In the junior division, Caitlin Anderson set a new personal record on vault (8.25), placed eighth on floor and ninth on beam, but a collapse on bars put her back in eighteenth place all-around. Emma Shorts did some good skills, but falls kept her back in twenty-second all-around. "For each girl, this was an excellent preparation for the coming zone and state championships," commented Aune. "Now we are all motivated, gymnasts and coaches, to get back in our gym and get ready."

Davis Diamonds in Octoberfest

October 9, nine Davis Diamonds gymnasts made the trip to Concord for their annual Octoberfest Invitational Gymnastics meet. Besides Davis, 81 gymnasts in teams from Brentwood, San Francisco, Petaluma, San Rafael, San Luis Obispo, Rheen Valley and Mt. Shasta also competed. "The girls enjoy this meet every year because the organizers, Golden Gate Gymnastics, is the home gym of Tracee Talevera, 1984 Olympic silver medalist and she still coaches there," explained head coach Hilde Aune. "The gymnasts get to see and meet gymnastics history." In the youngest level 4 division, Lily Wolfe had another strong bars meet, fourth (8.70), and finishing fifteen all-around. In the older division, Alex Willoughby won vault (9.20) and finished third on beam and all-around (33.95). A loss of concentration during her floor routine probably cost her the all-around victory. Teammate Irene Whalen did another great beam routine, placing second (8.725) and tenth all-around. Alex Levine was right behind in eleventh, but her solid score of 31.325 qualifies Alex for level 5 next season. "Alex has been practicing so hard, we were sure she would qualify and now she has," commented coach Brianne Ratto. Despite being just four gymnasts, this group was the fourth placed level 4 team. Brianna Sperry placed third on bars with 8.55 in the youngest level 5 group. Form breaks during her floor routine and a fall on beam dropped her to eighth all-around. But the level 5 bar event in the older division was won by teammate Emmi Koivunen with 8.875. Even better was Emmi's all-around score of 31.85 (eighth), qualifying her for level 6 next season. Sydney Six continued to improve with a fourth place on vault and tenth all-around (30.925). Sisters Emma and Chloe Shorts competed in the level 6 meet. Emma continued her progress with a strong meet, placing fourth on vault, second on bars and seventh all-around. Chloe had her best vault ever, finishing eighth all-around. "Mid-season, the Diamond gymnasts contined to improve. Emmi and Alex qualified for the next level and we are happy for Emmi's and Alex's victories. Sydney missed qualifying for level 6 by less than a pointed toe. She will make it soon. This was a good weekend," concluded coach Aune.

Davis Diamonds Jumpin' Pumpkins

Last weekend, twelve gymnasts from Davis Diamonds Gymnastics competed in the Jumpin' Pumpkins Invitiational Gymnastics meet, organized by Golden Bear Gymnastics at UC Berkeley. "We always need to compete in the Bay Area to meet the tough competition and find out where we stand," explained head coach Hilde Aune. 149 gymnasts from team in Vacaville, Diamond Springs, San Francisco, Fremont, Rheem Valley, San Rafael, Monterey, Mountain View, besides Berkeley and Davis entered the meet. The meet was held in the gym where the famous and storied UC Berkeley gymnastics teams train. In the level 6 meet, Caitlin Anderson scored a personal best on vault. Caitlin went on to place fifth on beam (8.725) and seventh on floor, finishing twelvth all-around (32.625) in tough competition. "Caitlin was all by herself in her session, just like she will be at the state championships, but she was mentally strong and did well," concluded coach Aune. Level 5 gymnast Brianna Sperry was sixth on bars and beam, but problems with the vault kept her down in eleventh place all-around in the older children's division. In the youngest junior division, Mallory Barnes showed how she can vault, placing fourth. But even better, Mallory's all-around score of 31.15, tenth, qualifies her for level 6 next season. Teammate Sydney Six did one of her best floor routines, eighth with 8.325, but problems on vault and bars held her back in twelvth place all-around. In the oldest division, Sonya Hendren continued to shine by winning beam again (8.825), placing third on bars and floor and third all-around (33.775). "All our level 5s showed some very good things and now we know what we have to work on before the zone and state championships," commented Aune. In the level 4 meet, Natalie Serdahl won vault with 9.00, one of the highest vault scores of the meet. Natalie also did her round-off back handspring for the first time in a meet and finished eleventh all-around. Lily Wolfe had another strong meet on all four events, finishing tenth all-around (31.90). Irene Whalen improved on floor, finishing eighth all-around with 31.70. Teammate Nicole Sands had her best meet to date finishing right behind in ninth with 31.55. Kelly Chuck placed eighth on vault and fourteenth all-around. In the oldest division, Alex Willoughby had another sensational meet placing second on vault and bars, third on floor and third all-around (34.25). Teammate Astrid Aune was third on beam (8.65) and twelvth all-around. A concentration break on floor kept Astrid just under the qualifying score of 31. "Now Nicole has passed off level 4, joining most of her group, and we are not finished with the season yet. There will be others. We are so proud of their progress," concluded coach Brianne Ratto.

Davis Diamonds Swings at Oroville Fall Luau

Last Saturday, 14 gymnasts from Davis Diamonds Gymnastics traveled to Oroville for the Fall Festival Luau. They were among 99 gymnasts in teams from Chico, Santa Rosa, Mt. Shasta, Anderson, Weaverville and host Oroville Gymnastics Sports Academy. The meet had an hawaiian theme that even had some of the spectators in costume. "This meet is in our zone so it is important for the gymnasts to see how they compare before zone championships in November, the qualifying meet to Nor-Cal State Championships," explained coach Sarah White. In the youngest level 4 division, Lily Wolfe had another great meet, finishing second on bars and beam and all-around (31.925). "This score qualifies Lily to compete level 5 next season, in just her second try," exclaimed coach Brianne Ratto. In the 9-10 division, the Davis Diamonds were first, second and third on vault. Courtney Meyer won vault (9.30), finished third on bars and third all-around with a very strong total of 34.10. Teammate Irene Whalen won beam and finished seventh all-around (32.80). Right behind was Nicole Sands, fifth on vault and ninth all-around. In her very first meet, Jessica Winger as second on vault (9.25) and twelvth all-around. Natalie Serdahl continued to improve with third place on vault and fourteenth all-around. In the oldest division, Alex Willoughby also won vault (9.50), finished third on bars (8.55) and fourth all-around (34.675). Astrid Aune had another good beam routine to finish fifth and twelvth all-around. The Davis Diamonds level 4s placed third as a team. In the level 5 meet, Davis Diamonds gymnasts took first, second and third places on bars and Lani Chang continued to dominate. Lani won everything except vault, notably scoring a 9.275 on bars and an extraordinary 34.65 all-around. Lani was more than two points ahead of second placed Stephanie Dahm (Oroville). Maya Giannetti also had a strong meet, finishing second on bars and floor and fourth all-around. Maggie Gilbreath progressed to third on bars and seventh all-around. In the oldest division, Kasia Shebloski was fourth on bars and ninth all-around. Caitlin Andersona and Alyssa Thompson were the only Diamonds in the level 6 meet. Caitlin had a good beam performance (second) and finished third all-around. Falls on bars held Alyssa back in eighth place all-around. Levels 5 and 6 were combined for the team trophies, where the Davis Diamonds team also finished third. "We had a good time in Oroville, the girls did well and now they know what they have to work on for the next meet," summarized coach White.

Davis Diamonds Dominate Handstands in Hollywood

Sunday, September 19, a big team of 21 gymnasts from Davis Diamonds Gymnastics participated in Aerials Gymnastics Handstands in Hollywood Invitational in Vacaville. So many clubs from all over northern California participated in this USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics sanctioned meet that it had to run over two days. Besides Davis, 83 gymnasts competed on Sunday from Lodi, San Rafael, Novato, Alameda, Santa Rosa, Chico, Fremont, and Lakeport. The Aerials gym was decorated with movie posters, the judges were served popcorn and each team had a star on the sidewalk. The Davis Diamonds' Level 4 team was Lily Wolfe, Alex Willoughby, Courtney Meyer, Irene Wahlen, Lillian Krovoza, Astrid Aune, Nicole Sands, Natalie Serdahl, Kelly Chuck and Alex Levine. This was their first gymnastics competition ever. Despite their inexperience, their individual successes won 2nd place team behind Chico's Athletic Horizons. In the youngest division, Lily Wolfe won bars and finished second all-around (30.75). In the 9-11 age division, Alex Willoughby won vault (9.20), bars (8.90) and the all-around with a strong 34.55. Courtney Meyer was third on bars, second on floor and sixth all-around (32.55). Irene Wahlen was third on beam and seventh all-around (32.10). Lillian Krovoza was fourth on bars and eigth all-around (32.25). Astrid Aune won beam (8.90) and was twelvth all-around. Nicole Sands was second on vault (8.90) and thirteenth all-around. Teammates Natalie Serdahl and Kelly Chuck were respectively seventeenth and twenty-first all-around. In the junior/senior division, Alex Levine was ninth all-around. With these results, Alex Willoughby, Courtney, Irene, and Lillian qualified to compete Junior Olympics level 5 next season, in their first meet. "Gymnastics is not a sport where you can have a practice, suit up and enter a tournament. Usually at least 3 years of lessons are necessary just to learn enough to participate in a competition. These girls have been practicing all summer and it shows," remarked head coach Hilde Aune. "Nicole and Irene have been doing gymnastics for only a year." From Davis Diamonds, Mallory Barnes, Lani Chang, Sonya Hedren, Kasia Shebloski, Sydney Six, Emmi Koivunen and Brianna Sperry participated in level 5. They won this team trophy, taking first place on every event except beam (second) with the Marin Elite Gymnastics Academy team in second place. Lani Chang also dominated her 9-11 division and the meet, placing second on vault and winning bars (9.15), beam (8.90), floor and all-around with a sensational 34.525. Lani was over 2 points ahead of second placed Alexis Lee of Novato. Brianna Sperry was third on vault, second on beam and third all-around (32.15). Sydney Six was sixth on beam and seventh all-around. Mallory Barnes was third on vault and eigth all-around. In the junior/senior division, Sonya Hedren won bars (9.0) and the all-around with a very strong 33.25. Emmi Koivunen was third on bars and all-around (30.775). Kasia Shebloski was third on floor and fourth all-around. "We have a very strong level 5 team this year, all of them in their first season. Lani is making a name for herself and one more such result will automatically qualify her to the State championships in November," commented coach James Major. Lani, Sonya and Brianna are qualified to compete Level 6 next season, the high compulsory level. In level 6, Caitlin Anderson, Chloe Shorts, Emma Shorts and Alyssa Thompson represented Davis Diamonds. In the 7-11 division, Caitlin was seventh all-around with a strong 31.05. Chloe Shorts finished eigth. In the junior and older division, Emma Shorts had a good first meet of the season, with fourth places on bars and beam, fifth all-around. Alyssa Thompson could only do three events because of sore hands. Nevertheless, this group was the third placed team and second placed team on bars. "In just our second season, we now have a team of over thirty gymnasts, spreading from first time level 4s up to level 10. We are planning to field a boys team of five to ten gymnasts this season as well. Davis Diamonds is just starting to show our strength," concluded Aune.

Davis Diamonds Brilliant at River City Classic

Davis Diamonds Gymnastics started this Olympic years season last Sunday with a team of six level 5 gymnasts. They competed in the River City Classic, a USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic sanctioned meet organized by Byer's Gymnastics on the Sacramento State campus. There were so many participants from all over northern California that the meet had to be run over two days. From Davis Diamonds, Sonja Hedren, Maggie Gilbreath, Brianna Sperry, Mallory Barnes, Sydney Six and Maya Giannetti have been practicing all summer and now they got to show off what they can do. In the youngest division, Maya Giannetti scored an excellent 8.80 on floor, fourth, and finished eigth all-around (32.10). This score already qualifies Maya to compete in level 6. In the younger age division, Brianna Sperry made top ten scores on all four events to an all-around total of 32.10 in seventh place. Maggie Gilbreath was second on vault and finished ninth all-around (31.40). Mallory Barnes was fourth on vault and eleventh all-around in her first level 5 meet. In the older division, Sonya Hedren was participating in her first gymnastics competition ever. Sonya started on beam, always nerve-wracking, but hit her routine and won (8.95)! Sonya went on to score a strong 34.30 all-around, second place. Sonya is currently a UCD graduate student who started gymnastics as an adult. With these results, Sonja, Maggie and Brianna are also qualified to compete level 6. "In this meet, the girls were just supposed to gather experience, but they all gathered medals as well," noted Head Coach Hilde Aune. Next weekend, Davis Diamonds Gymnastics will send a huge team of 21 gymnasts to compete in Aerials Gymnastics Handstands in Hollywood Invitational in Vacaville.