Three gymnasts from Flip City Gym and Cheer secured a top 15 finish at AAU Nationals in Knoxville, Tennessee last month and qualified for the Junior Olympics in Iowa next month. Skylar Rose-Daris, Victoria Supan, and Charli Rine each found their way to gymnastics through different paths but now compete together as one unit. Rose-Daris said her entry into the sport started with a simple skill. "It wasn't really gymnastics, it was the fact that I knew how to do a cartwheel," she said. Supan was drawn to gymnastics after watching videos online. "All the gymnasts that I saw on YouTube, and how amazing they are, and how fun it looks," she said. Rine said she loves gymnastics because "I learn new things."
The trio competed locally, traveled, and advanced to states and regionals during what Head Coach Candice Lazuka called a strong season. At nationals in Knoxville, the gymnasts came close to achieving a perfect score. "It's hard to get a perfect 10, but we got a 9.9 and were very close to a 10," Lazuka said. Rose-Daris is looking forward to the upcoming competition in Iowa. "It's going to be really fun that I'm going to an entire different part of the world," she said. Supan described her feelings as "happy and exciting at the same time." Rine said she is focused on "getting first place on floors" at the Junior Olympics.