MOULTRIE — The YMCA Moultrie MG’s traveled to Thomasville recently for the Rose City Classic Meet, held at the Butler Mason YMCA.

“Our girls have been working hard to improve their performances and it really showed for some of them,” said Coach Pat Murphy.

“I saw a big improvement on the balance beam at this meet,” said Coach Patti Merritt. “Now our floor needs to come up and we will look strong in Tifton at the end of the month.”

Amber Ross led the Level 3 team with an all around score of 34.9 for a first place. She also won firsts in all events for her age group and had her scores count for team score on Vault 8.95, bars 8.75 and beam 8.65.

“Amber has her maturity going for her so she takes corrections well,” said Merritt.

Scoring a 34.8 AA was Aja McLemore, coming in with the second highest team score and a first place in the 9-year-age division. Aja counted for team on vault 8.85 a personal best, bars 9.05 also a personal best, and on floor 8.8.

“Aja is becoming a strong competitor with good form,” said Murphy.

Kelsey Phillips had the next highest AA of 34.2. She also had two personal bests, with bars 8.5 and floor 8.6 for second and earned a first on beam 8.4. Phillips came in second place in her age group.

“Kelsey was really smooth making all her connections on her bar routine,” said Murphy.

Next was Brooklyn Ritter with a 34.05 AA which earned her a second placing overall in the 7-year old-division. Ritter won two first places with vault 8.75 and floor 8.45.

“Brooklyn had a very consistent meet,” said Merritt.

Evelyn Fagan brought the next highest all around score of 33.9 for third place, her personal best.

“Evelyn performs well in front of a crowd and is very strong on the uneven bars. She is going to be really good on that event,”, said Murphy.

Fagan earned a first place on bars 8.95, which was also a personal best for her, and also broke her personal best on vault 8.5 for third.

Our senior member of the team, Denise Jenkins, won firsts across the board in the 14-year-age group. She began with bars 8.15, and broke her other personal bests with vault 8.775, bars 8.35 and floor 8.45 for an AA of 33.725.

“Denise is still new competition, she performed well, looked comfortable at this meet,” said Merritt.

“Kristina Scott had a good day,” said Murphy.

Scott took first place in the 10-year-age division with an AA of 33.675, a personal best. Scott also made three other personal bests, bars 8.2 and floor 8.75 which counted for team. Also counting for team was her score on beam 8.825. Scott received a third on vault, with a 7.9.

In the age 11 division, Shan Summerlin earned a first on floor 8.1, and a second place on beam 8.85, counting toward team score.

“Shan is our team’s most flexible gymnast and it shows on her beautiful beam performance,” said Merritt.

Summerlin had a vault 8.2 and bars 8.15, which gave her an AA of 33.3.

Janna Tucker came in next in the 11-year age group with an AA of 33.2 for fifth place.

“Janna’s strongest event is by far her pose on the balance beam,” said Murphy.

Tucker’s highest score was on beam 8.65 to help the team score. She placed third on beam and floor 8.35.

Bringing in the next highest AA was Leah Grace Wiggins with a 33.15 for a tie for second in the 7-year-old age group.

Wiggins’ top score was beam 8.6, followed by floor 8.25, vault 8.2 andbars 8.1, all events placing second.

“Leah Grace’s talent is on the beam, her confidence makes her shine,” said Merritt.

In the 8-year-old division, Rachel Sasine came in next with a 33.0 AA and vault for fourth place. Sasine scored a personal best on bars 8.2, but her highest scores came in on beam 8.45 for third and floor 8.35 for second.

“Rachel’s bars were her best ever by making all her skills,” Murphy said.

Aubrey Snyder came in second for the 10-year age group with an AA 32.75. Snyder counted for team on vault 8.775, and floor 8.8, which was also a personal best and earning her a first. She finished third onbeam 7.95 and bars 7.2.

“Aubrey looked really nice on floor with grace and pose,” said Merritt.

Scarlett Gully had an AA of 31.15 for third place in the 7-year-old age division. Gully’s top score was on floor 8.15, followed by beam 7.85, vault 7.75 and bars 7.4.

“Scarlett finished a strong third place across the board and was very consistent,” said Murphy.

The USA Level 4 team earned its highest team score of the season 97.875.

“All of the girls improved on beam. Everyone hit their handstands and stayed on the four-inch wide piece of equipment,” said Merritt.

A new team leader emerged at this meet, Anna Hartley, who scored 32.85 AA in the 11-year-old age group, her best yet.

“Anna scored our highest vault of the day at this meet, a 9.2 for third place. It was very powerful,” said Murphy.

Hartley broke four personal records at this meet.

Lakyn Davis in the same age group scored 32.675. She performed her best bars scoring 7.9. “Lakyn struggles on that event, but is really improving,” said Murphy.

Davis’ highest score was on vault 8.75 and beam 8.45 earned a fifth place.

Hanna Friedlander scored a 31.6 AA.

“Hanna had a great beam routine making her dismount for the first time in a meet,” said Merritt. “Scoring an 8.3 for fourth place made her day.”

Friedlander also counted for team score on bars 8.15 and earned an 8.75 on vault.

The youngest member of the team is Jordan Yates, who had her best scores of the season on bars 7.65 for fourth place, beam 7.9 for third place and AA 31.45 for fifth place.

“Jordan was wonderful on vault with a fast run. Her vault scored the teams only other nine. Wow, lots of speed for a little girl,” said Murphy.

Yates placed secpnd on vault by scoring a 9.0.

“This is the first year the Moultrie YMCA has entered a team in the AAU level 4 league and it is paying off,” Murphy said. “Our girls are getting stronger and performing harder tricks to help prepare them for USA Level 5 next season.”

The team scored 101.25 finishing second to the Gym Nest of Macon, GA.

Not all of the team’s girls entered this meet and Timia Folwer was out sick, leaving it short-handed.

Allison Fagan broke the team record on the uneven bars by earning a 9.1 for first place in the 9-year-old age group.

“Allison looked awesome with a beautiful swing; I saw what the judges are looking for,” said volunteer coach Wendy Scites. “She will be a good bar worker at the next level too.”

Fagan had good day on floor 8.8 and vault 8.75 for both second places. She placed third overall by scoring 33.9.

Sidney Cokely led the team with our highest AA score of 33.95 to place second in the 9-year-old age group.

“Sidney scored all eights with her highest on the beam, 8.75 for second place. She loves that event and truly practices hard every day in the gym on it,” said Murphy.

Cokely also placed second on bars 8.7, third on vault 8.35 and floor 8.15.

Kaydee Phillips performed well on the beam and floor with her best scores of the year.

“Kaydee is working hard to have straight legs on all events during practice. She is becoming a pretty dancer,” said Murphy.

Phillips placed second on every event, her highest on bars 8.25 and floor 8.55.

Beam was the event of the meet and Jaycee Ellenberg followed through by having her best score in Thomasville meet, 7.2 for first place in the 10-year-old age group.

“Jaycee looked as if she stretched more while performing the required skills,” said Murphy. Ellenberg earned seconds on all the rest of her events. Her top score was an 8.4 on the vault.

Sammie Phillips is the team’s only gymnast at level 5, scoring a 31.3 AA.

“Sammie did great job on the bars with her personal best, 8.05 for fifth place. She kept straighter form, which always make your score improve,” said Scites.

The level 6 team was lead by Auburn Williams who earned a 31.45 AA for third place in her age group.

“Auburn was steady on 3 of the 4 events to give her a personal best at this level. She is listening to the coach’s corrections better in the gym,” said Murphy.

Williams placed first on floor 8.05, third on bars 8.15 and fourth on vault 8.15.

The Moultrie YMCA placed fourth to the private gym, Gymnastics Plus, which won with a score of 104.0.

Susannah Harvell’s season record was scored on the vault, 8.325 for third place and 7.925 on floor for second place. Harvell counted for the team score on those events.

“Susannah is overcoming some fear issues and had a good meet. She is dealing with performing backward skills and I saw some improvement at this meet,” said Murphy.

Harvell placed fourth AA scoring 31.25 and bars 7.9.

Betsy Booth scored a 29.325 AA at level 6.

“Betsy is trying to be tighter on each event. I am working hard with her to feel her body move in one motion,” said Murphy.

Booth had her top score on vault 8.125 and bars 7.1.

“It was nice to see Heather, Susannah’s older sister perform again,” Murphy said. “She has been out with several injuries since last season.

“She has such clean lines, making her gymnastics look beautiful.”

It was Heather’s first chance at this new level and she scored a 27.95 AA. Harvell placed fourth on beam 7.45 and her highest score was on the vault, 7.85.

“All the girls came in carrying roses making this a wonderful meet,” Murphy said. “We will begin work for the next competition at the end of the month.”