Cartersville Twisters capture title; several locals advance

The Cartersville Twisters youth gymnastics program competed April 17 in the 2016 USA Gymnastics XCEL Bronze Georgia State Championships and came away winners with their highest point total of the season.

The age 6-9 team includes: Taryn Bradley, Ally Burlison, Emerie Elrod, Madison Goff, Aiden Phillips, RayLee Potts, Raegan Rhodes, Caris Roth, Chaunsey Royal, and Jayla Suber.

Coaches for the team are Louiza Kouznetsov, Galyna Losinka, and Sasha Stensko.

Individual age group winners:

Goff - uneven bars, balance beam, and highest overall all-around score

Phillips - vault, floor, and all-around

Rhodes - vault

Elrod - floor

Other top age group performances: Bradley - third on vault

Potts - regional qualifier

Burlison - third on beam, second all-around

Royal - third on vault, second on floor, fourth all-around

Suber - third on vault, second on bars, third on floor, second all-around

Roth - third on bars

Elrod - second on vault, second all-around

Rhodes - third on bars, third on floor, second all-around

Phillips, second on bars

Goff - second on vault, second on floor

Nine Twisters qualified for the 2016 Region 8 XCEL Regional Championships in May in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The region includes Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Goff, Rhodes, and Phillips will compete as part of the Georgia State Team. Elrod was selected as an alternate for that team. The Georgia State team is made up of the state’s top six gymnasts, regardless of age group.