Twelve young gymnasts from Lindbergh Schools recently hit the road to compete at the Junior Olympics Games in Des Moines, Iowa. The competition took place from Aug. 3-7, and Lindbergh gymnasts walked away with nine champion titles, as well as five students advancing to Junior Olympics finals.
According to coach Kara Wiehage, the youngest of her gymnasts who attended Junior Olympics was nine years old. The group included six students from Truman Middle School, three from Sperreng Middle School, one from Kennerly Elementary School and one from Crestwood Elementary School.
Qualifying for the Junior Olympics Games was a feat in itself. To make it to the competition, gymnasts first had to compete in the National Championships, which took place in Knoxville, Tennessee in late June. Only those junior gymnasts who received a top four score at nationals in beam, bars, floor or vault were able to advance to Junior Olympics.
Wiehage told her athletes that if four of them qualified for Junior Olympics, they would go. Gymnasts from Lindbergh have not gone to the competition in the past, but since it was in the neighboring state of Iowa this year, Wiehage said she would make it possible. In the end, 15 athletes qualified for Junior Olympics.
“They were so happy. They felt like they had just qualified for the actual Olympics,” Wiehage said. “We had (students) running up to their parents, hugging them — some of them were in tears. Some of them were asking for their phones so they could call their friends, telling them that they just qualified for the Junior Olympics. They were just shining in that moment. They were so happy. It was so exciting.”
While 15 athletes qualified for the competition, only 12 signed up to go. The top young gymnasts from around the country gathered to test their mettle against each other, competing in the four events: beam, bars, floor and vault.
“It’s not as large as nationals because we have narrowed it down to the best of the best athletes who are competing,” Wiehage said. “It felt a little more laid back for them, but they still had all of those nerves for competing. They were super stressed out that they were competing against the top dogs.”
The Lindbergh gymnasts earned nine championship titles altogether: three for the bar event, four for vault and two for “all-around,” meaning a combination of the four events. From there, Madison Puckett and Ella Tobnick walked away as the first and second gymnasts for vaulting in the country in their skill group. In Kayla Forbes and Madison Goodwin’s group, they respectively scored third and fourth in the country for bars. Malia Pott scored sixth in the country for vault in her group.
Pott also received a title for her all-around work, and Tobnick received titles for bars and all-around in addition to her second place vault finalist title.
“Performance and title-wise, I am always excited no matter where they place,” Wiehage said. “They could be first or last — I always know they put out their best. They have the best attitude. I couldn’t ask for a better team to take to these competitions. They are absolutely fantastic.”
Not only did the gymnasts bring home champion titles or gain the achievement of advancing to Junior Olympics finals, but several also received their highest scores of the season: 9.7, 9.8 and even 9.9.
“When they see that score pop up on the board, their jaw drops,” Wiehage said. “Sometimes they run up and jump in our arms. It’s so cute. Overall, it was just a great experience.”
Now, following the success of Lindbergh junior gymnasts, Wiehage is looking forward to the year ahead and considering plans for Junior Olympics in the future.
“We had the parents asking me, ‘How can we make this work for next year?’” Wiehage said. “The next ones are in Houston, Texas. I wasn’t planning on going, but the parents really want to make it work, so I think we’re going to try to go back again.”