Sports

Local gymnasts flip over national titles

• In Bound Gymnastics’ Level 3 team wins four individual AAU national championships at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex last weekend – and they don’t plan on stopping there.

Scott Chancey

ORLANDO, Fla. — Southwest Georgia’s In Bound Gymnastics’ Level 3 competitive team did not have to venture far to celebrate four individual AAU national championships at the recent tournament.

Disney World was right there at its feet.

Last weekend at the national meet, Jade Rice won first place in the 12-year-old floor division, as did Kyli Reese among 7-year-olds, and McKenzie Carpenter claimed top honors in the 6-year-olds’ vault and floor categories at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex.

“I’m still on cloud nine from the outcome and results of the meet,” coach Sandy Ewing said. “Just knowing that the gym has only been here for three years, and it now has national champions, we’re very excited about that.”

Carpenter was second all-around in her age group, Rice was fourth and Reese was fifth. Adriahna Mirus and Anna Edwards were sixth and seventh overall, respectively, in the 7-year-old class and Alyson Adams was fourth overall among 8-year-olds. Megan Barfield was scheduled to compete among 9-year-olds, but she broke her wrist the day before competition began.

Although that event in Orlando, Fla., featu red individual competition, In Bound thrived in a team setting. Ewing said, before nationals, that her team won six team meets and was 13th at state.

“I have good athletes, but also a good unit,” Ewing said. “They support each other in every single way. My girls share the family, they share that we’re one and when we compete, we compete as a whole. And even with Megan, she was a good assistant coach. She was so supportive, going to every meet and every awards ceremony.”

Carpenter’s two national championships and second-place overall finish did not seem to come as a surprise to Ewing.

“She just did what McKenzie does,” Ewing said. “She just performs, and did her best and came in first in two events. Her performance was very good and very impressive, as it was with all the girls . I couldn’t ask for any more.”

Carpenter’s mother, Sue, was among those in attendance watching her daughter win.

“It was amazing, truly amazing,” she said. “You know, there were so many kids there, it was a huge arena, and to see your child down there when she is receiving awards, hearing, ‘First place from the state of Georgia,’ that’s really amazing. It was awesome.”

The 27-person contingent of teammates, family and friends, stayed on Disney’s property and then celebrated their achievements in grand fashion.

“They felt the reward in there,” Ewing said.=2 0“We always try to reward them when they do well. They knew nationals was a big event. I didn’t know how they would fare in that kind of arena because there were so many athletes there. They came physically and mentally prepared. It’s something we wanted to try, and they came out looking good.”

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