Published: May 06, 2008 11:04 am            

Texas East athletes compete for title

Special to the Progress

TYLER — Gymnasts from Tyler’s Texas East Gymnastics traveled to Wichita, Kan. to compete in the Level 9 and 10 Regional Championships.

Coach Martin Parsley says, “This meet is the most important meet of the year since it is the only place Level 9 and 10 gymnasts qualify to their respective championship competition. My kids had some misses but overall their hard work paid off and four of the five qualified to their championships.”

Emily Rickman and Erin Odom were perhaps the two most consistent performers this weekend. They each made four-for-four routines with minor missed connections and wobbles. Morgan Key, Ciara Maradiaga and Denaya Moore did not qualify until the last landing,

Moore ’s age group is probably one of the harder ones so competition was fierce and while Moore stayed on each apparatus she was still .225 out of the seventh qualifying position. Ciara Maradiaga also began the competition on one of her best events, beam, she became the floor regional champion along the way.

Morgan Key had her coach and teammates believing there was no way she couldn’t make nationals until the last skill of her last event. Key sat down on her bar dismount and came away with only mid eight’s, she was relieved to be named as fifth place for nationals.

All five of the TEG qualifiers are first time qualifiers.

        

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