Cartersville Twisters Level 4 boys' team completes outstanding season

July 12, 2026

Staff reports / BartowSportsZone.com

The Cartersville Twisters Gym boys Level 4 team capped a strong season by repeating as Georgia Level 4 Team State Champions, successfully defending the title they won a year ago.

The championship squad of Rainey Cope, Channing Englert, Kit Leighly, and Nolan Menerey earned back-to-back state crowns under coaches Sasha Stetsenko and Andrei Kouznetsov, continuing the Twisters' tradition as one of Georgia's premier youth gymnastics programs.

The Twisters' success extended beyond the team competition. At the Georgia Level 4 State Championships, Englert, Leighly, and Menerey swept the top three spots in the all-around standings, finishing as the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Level 4 gymnasts in the state.

Englert also enjoyed success beyond the state level, tying for second place in the all-around among all Level 4 competitors in the Southeast Region.

The program's depth was further recognized when Gabe Moody joined Leighly and Englert in qualifying for the Georgia State Elite Camp, an honor reserved for many of the state's top young gymnasts and an opportunity to train alongside Georgia's best emerging talent.

The Twisters wrapped up their season by competing in a Team Finals event featuring many of the top teams from across the Southeast. Although the meet was separate from the official state and regional championship competitions, Cartersville finished second overall behind Alabama in a spirited season-ending showcase.

With a second consecutive state championship, multiple individual state leaders, regional recognition, and three gymnasts earning invitations to the State Elite Camp, the Cartersville Twisters Boys Level 4 team completed one of the program's most successful seasons in recent memory.