GRGA saves their best for last

BETTENDORF, IOWA— The Grand Rapids Gymnastics Academy closed out their competitive season this past weekend at the Region IV Championships held in Bettendorf, Iowa.

GRGA qualified 14 athletes to compete in Levels 6-10. Region IV includes athletes from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Wisconsin and Nebraska. The athletes who earned a 34.00 or higher in the all-around or a 9.0 or higher on an event at their respective state meet, qualified to compete at Regionals.

GRGA had the highest number of qualified level 10 athletes in the program’s history, with four individuals competing in the all-around. Allie Haarklau, Selah Villeneuve, Kat Trest, and Kate Clairmont all scored at least one personal best at the competition. Trest just narrowly missed the alternate spot for Level 10 Nationals, finishing 10th in the all-around with her season-high of 35.35. She also had the highest individual event placement in GRGA’s history, notching two fifth-place finishes on beam and floor with scores of 9.2 and 9.3

Senior, Kate Clairmont, finished her high school career with a 7th place finish on beam. Clairmont scored a Level 10 personal best of 9.175 on this event and will continue her gymnastics career at Gustavus Adolphus in the fall. Villeneuve placed 8th on bars with a score of 8.7 and hit her best all-around of the season with a score of 34.525. Haarklau scored a personal best on beam and also finished 13th on floor with a score of 8.75.

In Level 8 and 9 action, GRGA’s Kali Benes, Claire Fannin and Hattie Eskeli competed as event specialists where all four girls hit their routines. In Level 8, senior Sophie Halter and junior Claire Fannin both medaled on their floor routines. Halter finished fourth in her age group with a 9.325 while Fannin finished fourth in her age group with a 9.4. Level 9, Hattie Eskeli, competed in vault and floor where she hit her best floor routine of the year for a 9.125.

Level 7’s Izzy Nelson, Alexis Hutchinson, Tory Calaguire, Stella Halter and Mattea Villeneuve competed in their first Regional Championships and represented GRGA well. Nelson led the team overall with a personal best all-around score of 36.325. Nelson placed fifth on floor with a 9.45 and eighth on beam with a personal best of 9.45. Tory Calaguire had GRGA’s top individual placement of the weekend for any level with a 2nd place finish on vault. Calaguire hit her season-high of 9.25 on this event. She also posted her highest bar score for the year to place seventh with a 9.075. Hutchinson, Halter and Villeneuve cracked the top-ten individually as well. Hutchinson finished eighth on floor with an 9.225, Halter was 10th on vault with an 8.975 while Villeneuve was 10th on beam and vault with scores of 9.175 and 8.825.