Charity Choice Invitational

Yes, gymnastics seems to be taking center stage here on our blog, and honestly, it seems to in real life as well.  We are coming to the end of competition season for Katie, and her schedule seems a bit end loaded as we come to the final stretch.  A meet every three weeks to end the season!  Two down one to go.
 
So this last one we went to was a big one.  At least for the level 2's.  So far all the meets have been smaller and local.  This one we traveled to Tacoma, WA.  There were teams from ALL OVER.  From states all over including Hawaii, and internationally from Canada and Costa Rica.  It was different as well in the set up.  The other meets we had been to were small, with one set of equipment per event.  This meet, there were 3 of each, and a set up for the boys as well.  There was so much going on it was overload--at least for mom.  Katie took it all in stride with a smile on her face, and as usual, when she stepped up to compete her steely game face showed up.
 
We all were wondering how the girls would fair.  We knew locally that their team dominated the competition.  But this competition was a much bigger pond! Mom was on the edge of her seat, and may or may not have been seen pacing the back wall.  Katie handles the anticipation and tension much better than her mother.
 
Here are some pictures of the whole process. . .
 
 Kaitlyn's family rented a hotel room for the night (we drove to Seattle after the meet to stay with Aunt Soo and Uncle Aaron).  They let us crash there to unwind after the drive and to prep for the meet.  Here the kiddos are watching some nick show.  Katie is eating her power snack (peanut butter and carrots).  Kaitlyn is the one in the pink shirt looking like she is getting tortured!  She is actually getting her hair done--gymnastics hair is serious business!


This is Katie in her leo and hair glued and ready to go.  Like I said gymnastics hair is serious business.  Lots of gel and hairspray and bobby pins.  Maybe someday I will write a post on the hair process.  I am not sure what is going through her head at this moment, perhaps getting in the "zone".


 Katie and teammates clowning around waiting to find out where their team is going to warm up.  Katie is being eaten by her chair!



 Coach Allyson leads the girls to their staging area.  See Katie, all smiles.


 The conference center was decorated with umbrellas hanging from the ceiling.


 Here are all the teams that are competing in this session.  Our girls competed in session 12, over three days there were something like 28 sessions.  There were gymnasts everywhere you looked!  You can sort of see our girls.  They are the team with the little tiny girl holding the sign that is almost bigger than she is.  That is Abby, she is 6 and just adorable!


 This was warm up time, our girls are lined up in front of the screen in the back there--they have their arms in the air.  These ladies in the foreground are from Hawaii.  They are level 6, and were so fun to watch.


 This picture sort of shows you the organized chaos.  Again, our team is the line of girls with their arms in the air by the screen.  In the far back corner was the rings apparatus that the boys competed on, then there is the pommel horse, back by the rings is the uneven bars apparatus that our girls competed on.  Really hard to see from where we were seated.  Outside of the picture to the right was another two sets of bars, three beams, and a floor mat.  All was being used at the same time!  Amazing that the girls were able to block it out and focus on their events.


 NGTC girls waiting for their turn at vault.  They vaulted right in front of us!  So cool to be able to  be so close to them.


 This young lady is a level 6, not sure were she was from, but she was impressive!



These next three pictures are a motion series of Katie going through a vault.  When she looked at the pictures, she pointed out all the things that could have been done better, but to Mom, it was impressive.  Vault tends to be her hardest event as she overthinks the run up to the vault and sometimes ends up tripping herself!  Her goal for this meet was to break a 9.0.  She did it!  A 9.0!





The results:  Katie and Cheyenne took Silver and Bronze in Senior A All around!  The rest of the team swept all the rest of the Gold, silver and bronze in the rest of the age groups.  They securely cemented their teams first place win again!   They are undefeated!!!  Personally Katie scored 9.0 or higher in all events, she placed 2nd individually on beam and floor, third on bars and tied for 4th on vault.  Her All Around score improved as well.
 Katie and Cheyenne.
 
 
 First place team!
 
 
 For the first time Katie and Kaitlyn competed in different age groups, so they were not competing directly against each other in this meet, but we still got their post meet photo.  Kaitlyn took gold in the Senior B age group.  Katie is holding her score sheet.  The red, white and blue ribbons mean that she scored 9.0 or above on the event.
I think they look pretty happy with the outcome.
 
 
Katie and coach Allyson and the big ol' FIRST place trophy!  Undefeated!!!
 
 
One more meet to go, another big one, at the end of the month and then competition season is OVER!!  (collective deep breath)

Comments

  1. Elisa! It's Grace from CHS! What a beautiful family!!!

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    1. Goodness! Grace, How on earth did you find our little blog in cyberspace?? Great to hear from you. Hope you enjoyed visiting our little bit of life on the farm.

      Please feel free to contact me at elisapie@zoho.com. I would love to hear what you are up to.

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