Ignite Gymnastics had a successful trip up to Highlands Ranch this past weekend. Ignacio’s Ignite Gymnastics attended the Colorado XCel Gold State Meet at Peak Athletics in Highlands Ranch.
It was the largest gold state meet in recent years with over 600 athletes who competed, according to Ignite coach Liz Herring.
Ignite gymnast Koralea Brown, age 13, won the state championship on floor in the Senior A Group 4 age group last weekend. Brown scored a 9.55 and also qualified for the regionals meet that will be held at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds in Denver May 3-5. Brown was the only state champion from Southwest Colorado at Gold State.
“She has really worked very hard in these last few weeks,” Herring said about Brown. “She took a break from gymnastics for a year and then came back and has been back for a pretty actually short time to do so well. She's worked very hard to get back her tumbling and all of that and just put a lot of extra time into it. She's a very talented but hardworking athlete.”
Herring said Brown has been working hard this past week after regionals in her other events. Brown has added more difficulty to her vault and bars. Herring expects even better things at regionals.
Ignite has had 13 state champions since 2021.
Fellow Ignite gymnast Reagan Oelschlaeger was the bronze medalist on beam with a score of 8.95 and floor with a score of 9.425 in the Junior A Group 1 age group. She also placed fifth AA (all-around) with a 36.075. Oelschlaeger also placed 10th on bars. She is the only gymnast from Southwest Colorado to place in the AA and had the highest score of any gymnast from Southwest Colorado. Oelschlaeger also qualified for the regionals meet.
Ignite gymnast Alana Smith-Biessel, placed fifth on floor with a 9.2 and was 10th on Bars 9.2 and 10th on beam 8.775 in the Child 2 Group 4 age group. She had the second-highest AA of any Southwest Colorado gymnast with a 35.725. Smith-Biessel also qualified for the regionals meet.
In Child 1 Group 3, Ignite gymnast, Brylee Sutherlin placed fifth on floor with a 9.275 and qualified for the regionals meet.
Ignite gymnast, Karver Brown, tied for ninth on floor with a 9.025 in the Child 3 Group 4 age group and qualified for the regionals meet.
The regionals meet in Denver has the top gymnasts from Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, Arkansas, and Colorado.
Herring is proud of the gymnasts’ accomplishments as the girls work hard and compete well with the smallest competition facility in the area.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
