Over 30 gymnasts from the Southeast Alaska Gymnastics Academy competed alongside peers from Ketchikan and Sitka on Saturday in the Monopoly Classic.
With 72 total participants, the gymnastics meet was the largest of its kind in Juneau in close to a decade, according to SAGA coach and meet director Alexis Howard. The meet was held at the Southeast Alaska Gymnastics Academy.
All three contingents received marks on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise, with the youth spread out between platinum, gold, silver and bronze levels of the USA Gymnastics Xcel program.
Five of the eight platinum gymnasts in the meet represented SAGA, including Stella Moran, Hailey Dompeling, Katharine Ortega, Skylar Oliva and Ella Schmidt. Moran finished first in the all-around in her age group (13 and up), scoring 35.55 points. Schmidt and Oliva were first and second in the all-around, respectively, in the next youngest age group (10-12). Schmidt scored 35.175 points and Oliva scored 35.075 points.
The upper-level gymnasts rocked their floor routines, Howard said.
“Floor is all about showing everybody what you got and really performing, and I was absolutely amazed at how well they did at performing their routines for the first time and just showing their judges exactly what they’re made of,” Howard said.
The Southeast Alaska Gymnastics Academy will compete next in January. Howard said there will be two out-of-town meets that month the club will attend, one in Wasilla and one in Ketchikan. Beyond that, there will also be a state meet and regional meet.
“Some of the girls have set a goal of wanting to (go to regionals) this year and they have to score a 35.5 at a state meet in order to qualify for that, so they’re working really hard,” Howard said.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
