Earlier this month, Motions Unlimited Gymnastics returned from Tampa, Florida, following a showcase at the 38th annual Gasparilla Classic Gymnastics Meet.
The event hosts more than 6,000 athletes from the United States and around the globe each year, making it a massive stage for the Cayman Islands team.
This year’s meet took place from 6-8 March at the Tampa Convention Center and marked a significant milestone for Motions Unlimited as they travelled with their entire female competitive team, marking the first time they have brought 50 athletes to an international meet.
Gymnasts’ performances
Throughout the weekend, the athletes demonstrated their skills across various levels, resulting in several standout individual performances and podium finishes.
In the Level 2 division, Harper Crossan took home gold on vault, while Haven Parsons secured gold on bars and a tied bronze in the all-around with Sienna Michael.
Ashbury Lam and Charlotte Webster earned silver medals for their floor routines, with Webster also claiming silver on bars. Rielle Webster secured silver in the all-around and on vault and bars.
In Level 3, Edyn Connolly impressed the judges by winning gold on the vault.
The Xcel divisions also saw an array of medals for the gymnasts. In the Xcel Bronze division, Addison Pawlik captured gold on vault and bronze on both beam and the all-around, while Omya Arora captured silver on bars and bronze in floor.
Alice Collins claimed silver on vault, Skyler Thompson earned bronze in floor, Ayva Ebanks secured bronze on the vault, Celeste Dutil took silver in bars, and Dinah Desrosiers secured bronze on the vault.
In the Xcel Gold division, Leni Kuusela secured bronze in floor while Annabelle Zaplitny-Olynik of the Xcel Platinum division grabbed bronze on the beam.
In the Xcel Diamond division, Kirsten Roderick secured a tied silver on the vault, while Zoey Anderson secured gold on vault and bronze on bars.
Sophia Santiago took gold on bars and silver in the all-around while Sienna Santiago in the highly competitive Level 9, secured bronze on vault, beam, and the all-around.
The success extended to the team standings as well, with the Xcel Diamond team securing a second-place overall finish while the Level 2 group brought home a third-place trophy. The Level 3 team narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish.
Coaching staff remarks
The massive group was supported by a full coaching staff, including head coach Alison Laidler, coaches Miriam Schwabe, Marvin Rohim, Carmen Lough, Mikey Malin, and coach and Motions manager Kelley Paz.
“The Gasparilla Classic is an enormous meet with thousands of gymnasts, and our athletes handled the experience with confidence and determination. We are incredibly proud of how they performed and how they supported each other as a team,” Laidler said.
“Coach Miriam Schwabe has also played a key role in the continued growth of the Motions competitive programme, helping to develop and launch the club’s Xcel Bronze team, which has welcomed many new athletes into the competitive pathway and significantly expanded the team,” said Motions Unlimited.
Reflecting on the meet, Schwabe said, “This competition was especially meaningful for our Xcel Bronze athletes as it was their first time representing Motions at a meet. They worked very hard to prepare and it was wonderful to see them step onto the competition floor with so much excitement and pride.”
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