The Southern Elite Gymnastics team has been quietly rolling in the awards for excellent performances in competition in West Virginia and some surrounding states.
There are 25 kids on the team, and they service Greenbrier Co., Monroe Co., Nicholas Co., Summers Co., and other surrounding counties.
Their competition season stretches from November to March and can go into May and June for the kids that qualify for regionals and Eastern Nationals. The girls travel all around the state and other surrounding states for competitions such as:
Parkersburg, Huntington and Charleston in West Virginia, Christiansburg, Virginia, Columbus, Ohio, and parts of North Carolina.
Coach Taylar Sizemore hopes people understand just how grueling gymnastics is, and that there is never really a free moment during the sport.
“Gymnastics is one of the toughest sports to do,” Sizemore said.
“There is no off season. When these girls aren’t competing, they are training, getting new skills and preparing for the next competition season,” she added.
This year, the team has one graduating senior, Bailey Caraway, who is a Level Diamond.
“On March 24-26, our girls go to Charleston State University to compete against all the gymnastics teams in the state of West Virginia, which is several hundred girls. Girls in Level Gold, Diamond, and Level 9 can qualify for regionals, which will be held in Pennsylvania for the Golds and South Carolina for the Diamonds and Level 9s,” Sizemore stated.
Impressively, five of the girls have already pre-qualified for regionals this year from earning a 36.0 or greater all around out of a total of 40 possible points.
“Already this season many of our gymnasts have brought home several first, second and third place individual trophies/medals. Our Gold team brought home a fourth-place team banner from the Greenbrier competition “Gatsby Gymnastics Classic,” and our Diamond team brought home a second-place team banner. Also, our Gold team brought home a fifth-place banner at the ‘Make it Count Classic’ in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Sizemore and the gymnastics team are always looking for more girls to join their group and begin learning from the best in the business, including coaches Rosie Ketchum and Bob Abbott.
“We do offer recreational classes, open gyms, birthday parties, summer camp, and private lessons. To receive more information contact us through our Facebook page at @Southern Elite Gymnastics or email us at southernelite8@gmail.com,” Sizemore concluded.
