boys pics

girls pics

Cereal City Classic  -  Battle Creek, MI
1-24-09:  The rooster crowed this weekend at the 14th annual Cereal City Classic and the All American Flames Gymnastix teams woke early, ready for work.  While the temps outside the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, MI struggled to top 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the Lady Flames and Fire Squad understood the needs of a proper bowl of cereal - "got milk?"  And the cows aren't going to milk themselves.  So, it's up at the crack-o-dawn, strap on yer boots, grab tha bucket, and let's get ta milkin, ya'll.  YeeHaw!
     The Level 4 girls barely had time to hit the snooze button before the first judge hit them with a salute.  They wiped the sleep from their eyes just in-time to place the bucket underneath as the 1st Place Team Award squirted in.
     The Level 8's came next.  They avoided an udder disappointment as Megan S. hurt her heel during a balance beam dismount.  She recovered enough to hoof-out a vault and bars performance for the Flames Farm.  The six-girl team of Goggin, Manter, Leverenz, Schweihofer(X2) and Holderby grappled with the competition, but secured a steady stream of nutrient-rich gymnastic elements to bring home a 3rd place team trophy.
     The Level 9/10 session followed.  These girls brought with them their own style of milkin'.  Leadbetter completed her first L10 bars routine to the refreshment of her coaches.  Stepp, showing an uncharacteristic style of balance beam, relayed a 1st place FX routine and a nice Vault performance into the team bucket.  The Level 9's showed a no-hands technique on bars while they impressed the judges enough with a bread-n-butter approach on vault.  Paeth slid right up to the 1st place podium with her creamy FX performance.  They finished 3rd as a team.
     But, even before the Level 9/10's were finished, the Level 5's began-a-churning-a-whey.  They didn't let a large MEGA team curdle their hopes for victory.  Instead, they looked straight at the  "dozens of different proteins floating around in the white fluid," and skimmed off a 2nd Place Team award.  After all, "when life hands you lemons..." why not make cottage cheese?
     The Level 6's finished off the Super-successful event with a solidifying team performance.  Say, "chhheeeeesssseee!"  They smiled as they were handed the 1st Place Team award.  This smile turned to udder jubilation as they realized their efforts, clumped together with their Level 4 & 5 sisters, earned All American Flames the Compulsory Super Team Award!  Whey to go girls!
     The Fire Squad, not to be out-done by the Lady Flames, rounded up some valuable stock themselves. The Level 4 boys herded the 1st Place Team trophy right out of the Kellogg Arena and into pasture at the Flames' Farm.  Whey to cowboy-up gentlemen!
     Immediately prior to writing this blog, the author, under the digestive-altering schedule that some competitions induce, unintentionally settled for a quick dinner of Frosted Flakes cereal.  Upon recognizing the obvious irony that he was partaking in, he quickly surmised, "like this bowl of frosted nourishment I'm consuming, this weekend our gymnastic teams....weeeerreee GGGrrreeeaatt!!

SQM Hartland  -  Hartland, MI
1-17-09:  The first State Qualifying opportunity presented itself wrapped in a blizzard of snow and cold temps as the Lady Flames' Levels 5 and 6 traveled to Hartland, MI for the first SQM of the 2009 season.  The girls hopped right into the Bounce House, and right up to the podium as both levels captured the 1st place team awards presented for their sessions.  Each of the Level 5 girls received the 1st of two SQM scores needed to qualify to their championship meet in May.  All, but one Level 6 gymnast -recovering injury- qualified for their State Championships.  Good work ladies... there's still a lot of season left, but it will be over before you know it.  Keep making improvements toward your goals!

Graffiti Invitational / Gold Star Invitational  -  Niagara Falls, NY
1-10-09:  Another season has officially started.  The 2009 competitive season recently weighed-anchor and headed down-stream to Niagara Falls, NY.  It was a perfect opportunity for the Lady Flames and Fire Squad gymnasts to demonstrate their talents. Four Lady Flames, literally, had a "perfect opportunity" as Abby Evans, Mekenna McLean, Miranda Hannigan and Lizzy Fleming convincingly demonstrated perfection before the Level 4 Vault Judges.  Their 10.0's helped lead the Level 4 team to a 1st Place finish.  "Today, they were perfect.  Nobody can ever take that from them," stated their vault coach, "I couldn't be more proud."

     There were so many great performances that this author simply couldn't do them all justice in his feeble attempt at creative writing/reporting.  With that (excuse) in-mind he has decided to mention only team placements with the top all-around awards.  They are as follows:
Level 4 Team - 1st Place - Abby Evans 38.625
Level 5 Team - 1st Place - Sophie Jackson 38.475
Level 6 Team - 1st Place - Brooke Konik 38.750
Level 8 Team - 2nd Place - Megan Schweihofer 37.250
Level 9 Team - 3rd Place - Delina Phillips 35.625
Level 10 - Amanda Stepp 36.525 (3rd A.A.)

     The one exception the author is making toward his "excuse" is in mentioning the Fire Squad.  These gentlemen have been working extremely hard and were rewarded for it this past weekend.  They, sometimes, get lost in the sea of estrogen that overwhelms the training facility.  Nevertheless, they consistently carve-out for themselves opportunities, and moments, to step into the spotlight.  Congratulations, men, on your maturing performances.  Keep it up!  The hard work is showing!