Island Flyers, the trampoline and tumbling team at Rise Academy of Arts in Oak Harbor, took the state championships by storm last weekend. Half a dozen young gymnasts qualified for nationals and another 35 placed in the state’s top 10.
The Flyers compete on trampoline, double mini and tumbling on a rod floor.
“Each athlete competes in all three events,” said Amy Watson, a coach and co-owner of Rise Academy. “They compete within their age group with kids from all across the state.”
Arianna Hunt, 15, Madison Walker, 15, and Avery Bower, 14, all qualified for nationals in tumbling. Blake Short, 11, Adalyn Watson, 9, Malaina Yargo, 14, and Bower qualified for nationals on double mini, which is a type of small, slanted trampoline.
These athletes will compete in West Palm Beach, Florida against about 600 other gymnasts from across the country at nationals. The Flyers will also be heading to regionals in Phoenix at the beginning of May where some of them will have the opportunity to qualify for nationals again. Watson said regionals is a larger competition than state and includes kids from states along the West Coast.
Watson said “gymnastics” is an overarching umbrella term that has many different facets. Rise specializes in trampoline and tumbling because it’s what Watson and co-owner Melody Tappe are most passionate about.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Watson said. “What kid doesn’t love jumping on a trampoline?”
On the trampoline and double mini, kids do routines consisting of things like pike jumps, straddle jumps, tucks and flips. On the rod floor, kids perform cartwheels, handstands, handsprings, flips and somersaults.
Watson said Rise had their largest team this year. She is excited that six Flyers have qualified for nationals.
“I don’t know if I was necessarily expecting it but it’s something we were really hopeful for,” she said. “A small pool of kids in gymnastics get to go. It’s a really big deal.”
Watson said the upper level kids practice every single day and a lot of them also take dance on top of gymnastics. Some of the kids started as young as 12 months old because as Watson said, “When you can walk, you can tumble.”
Other kids start when they’re older, as late as 12 years old. Malaina Yargo, who qualified for double mini, is in her first year of gymnastics. She previously had a cheer background.
Rise’s Island Flyers trampoline and tumbling team will be recruiting new athletes for the upcoming 2023-2024 competition season in August. You can find more information about recreational classes and team tryouts by visiting riseacademyofarts.com or calling (360) 610-5450.
Emma Sorensen, 10 in a tuck. Sorensen placed second in tumbling, fourth in trampoline and eighth in double mini at the state championships. (Photo by Rachel Rosen/Whidbey News-Times)
Malaina Yargo, 14, straddle jumps on a trampoline. Yargo is a national qualifier in double mini. (Photo by Rachel Rosen/Whidbey News-Times)
Malaina Yargo, 14, straddle jumps on a trampoline. Yargo is a national qualifier in double mini. (Photo by Rachel Rosen/Whidbey News-Times)
The Island Flyers took home several awards at last weekend’s state championships. From left, Sutton Zimmerman, Louri Sorensen, Katrin Kurganov and Gratia Riippa. (Photo provided)
