Striver Gymnastic Team Wins Back-to-Back State Championships

The Door County YMCA Strivers Gymnastic Team captured back-to-back state championship titles. The striver team competed this past weekend in the YMCA state gymnastics championships hosted by the Fond du Lac YMCA. Thirteen YMCA gymnastic teams from Wisconsin competed in the weekend tournament.

The Striver’s Excel Silver Team won the 2023 State Title, went undefeated this season, and won their second consecutive State Team Title to capture back-to-back State Championships. The Striver Team returned home with ten individual state titles. The team won Gold in all-around in all three age brackets. Leading the Silvers was Ellie Kelsey (9 and under) who had a clean sweep on the podium winning floor, vault, beam, bars, and the all-around. Evelynn Kelsey (12 and up) won the All Around and beam and captured silver on vault and bars and fifth on vault. Sawyer Soukup (10 &11) won gold in the all-around and vault, Soukup grabbed silver on bars and floor. Winning Silver in the all-around was Brinley Newton (10 &11) and Lauren Gaida (12 and up). Newton won gold on the beam and bronze on the bars. Gaida won gold on vault, bronze on bars, fourth on beam, and ninth on vault. Delaney Allen (10 and 11) and Keira Clark (12 and up) placed fourth in the all-around. Clark won silver on the beam and bronze on the floor. Allen placed sixth on the floor and seventh on the vault and beam. Greta Virgin won bronze on the beam and fifth on the floor. Destiny Romero (12 and up) medaled fourth on beam, sixth on vault, ninth in the all-around, and tenth on floor. All five events medaled the top ten performances of the day. All nine Excel Silver gymnasts medaled in the top ten. The Excel Silver Team won the State Team Title scoring 113.85.

In the Level Seven competition, the Strivers had three competitors Portia Hah, Estelle Duerst, and Amira Anschutz. Portia Hah medaled fourth on bars, seventh in the all-around, and eighth on vault. Estelle Duerst medaled seventh in the all-around and seventh on the beam. Amira Anschutz medaled fifth on vault, seventh on bars, and eighth in the all-around.

Competing Platinum in the open age group (12 to 18 yr olds) was Shaylyn Asher. Asher placed 6 in the all-around.

The Striver Team will begin focusing on the YMCA National Gymnastics Championships that will take place June 20-24 in Philadelphia, PA. All thirteen team members qualified for the Championship Tournament.

Back to Back State Champs Photo (ABOVE)

left to right: Lauren Gaida, Keira Clark, Greta Virgin, Sawyer Soukup, Evelynn Kelsey, Ellie Kelsey, Brinley Newton, Delaney Allen, Destiney Romero.

Silver Team Pic

left to right: Back row Coach Nikki Pollman, Evelynn Kelsey, Destiney Romero

Middle: Brinley Newton, Ellie Kelsey, Lauren Gaida, Sawyer Soukup

Front: Delaney Allen, Keira Clark, Greta Virgin

All Around Winners: left to right: Ellie Kelsey 1st (9 & under), Brinley Newton 2nd (10 & 11), Lauren Gaida 2nd(12 & up), Evelynn Kelsey 1st (12 &up), Sawyer Soukup 1st (10 & 11)

DCY Evelynn Kelsey 1st All Around, Lauren Gaid 2nd AA, Keira Clark 4th AA