Springfield gymnast wins all around at Level 8 competition |
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Aysia Whitley-Sharif
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Local gymnast Aysia Whitley-Sharif won the Connecticut State Level 8, age 12, Vault and All Around Title.
Whitley-Sharif has been doing gymnastics for approximately five years. She currently trains at All Stars Gymnastics Academy in Windsor, Conn., and is coached by head coach/owner Mary Egles and her mother, assistant coach Shelley Whitley. Whitley-Sharif is a Level 8 gymnast and trains approximately 25 to 30 hours per week. She is a sixth grader and attends the Alfred Zanetti Montessori Elementary School in Springfield.
There are 10 levels in gymnastics, with level 10 being the highest. As a level 10, a gymnast has the opportunity to test as an "Elite" gymnast and compete at an international level. As an elite, a gymnast may try out for a spot on the U.S.A. National Team with hopes to make it to the Olympics.
The Level 8 Connecticut State Championships took place on April 5 in Bristol, Conn. Whitley-Sharif won first place on vault with a score of 9.75, second place on floor with a 9.45, and sixth place on bars with a 9.225. Whitley-Sharif went on to win the All Around Title with a 36.975. The all around consists of all four events (vault, bars, beam and floor), this is the greatest achievement that a gymnast can obtain at a competition.
Whitley-Sharif's first place achievement in the all around guaranteed her a spot in the next level of competion which are regionals. Regionals consist of the top seven all around placements in each age division and is the highest level of competition as a level 8. Whitley-Sharif will be one of seven gymnasts who will represent the Region 6 Connecticut State Team in the eight to 12 age division. She will be competing against teams from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, which represent Region 6.
Whitley-Sharif hopes to become an elite gymnast in the near future and compete at an international level and try out for the U.S.A. National Team. Her goal is to attend the University of Georgia and compete at a collegiate level.
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