Sports
A Flair for the Gold: University of Gymnastics excels at state championships
By Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
The past month has been big for the University of Gymnastics.
The Plano-based gym, now in its 34th year of operation, gave their younger gymnasts something to aspire to when Plano West senior Casey Dreyer signed a scholarship to San Jose State four weeks ago and the next generation is already living up to its potential.
Evidence of that came at the Level 5 Texas State Championships.
University of Gymnastics advanced five of its six competitors to the event in Houston and each played a part in the squad winning the Level 5 Small Team competition.
"The girls have worked so hard this season," said Dayna DeProspero, University of Gymnastics owner, "and it is great to see all of them so successful."
DeProspero came out to watch the competition along with her daughter and son-in-law, Jonathan Horton, who won a silver medal in the horizontal bar at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Sophie Dudley started the medal parade and march toward the team award for University of Gymnastics with a 9.65 on floor exercise. That score earned Dudley a bronze, a medal she would replicate on the balance beam and in the all-around. Kaila Muhammed kept the momentum going with a strong all-around score of 38.275 that included silver medals on the uneven bars and floor.
Other high scores were put up by Annabel McCoy on bars (9.8) and Tamia Tolbert on vault (9.25).
Matching that level of production, and doing so on each apparatus, was Liberty Grace Mora. The McKinney resident's standout performance came on the floor where she posted a score of 9.9 to capture the title of Level 5 Floor Exercise State Champion. Mora finished with several other medals as she grabbed silver in the all-around (39.050) while also finishing second on bars (9.8) and third on beam (9.7).
"Just being one of the top 10 athletes in north Texas to qualify for state is a great achievement," said Laura Beth Mora, University of Gymnastics team director, "but bringing home so many medals and winning first place small team is an amazing accomplishment.
"I am thrilled for the girls."
The Plano-based gym, now in its 34th year of operation, gave their younger gymnasts something to aspire to when Plano West senior Casey Dreyer signed a scholarship to San Jose State four weeks ago and the next generation is already living up to its potential.
Evidence of that came at the Level 5 Texas State Championships.
University of Gymnastics advanced five of its six competitors to the event in Houston and each played a part in the squad winning the Level 5 Small Team competition.
"The girls have worked so hard this season," said Dayna DeProspero, University of Gymnastics owner, "and it is great to see all of them so successful."
DeProspero came out to watch the competition along with her daughter and son-in-law, Jonathan Horton, who won a silver medal in the horizontal bar at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Sophie Dudley started the medal parade and march toward the team award for University of Gymnastics with a 9.65 on floor exercise. That score earned Dudley a bronze, a medal she would replicate on the balance beam and in the all-around. Kaila Muhammed kept the momentum going with a strong all-around score of 38.275 that included silver medals on the uneven bars and floor.
Other high scores were put up by Annabel McCoy on bars (9.8) and Tamia Tolbert on vault (9.25).
Matching that level of production, and doing so on each apparatus, was Liberty Grace Mora. The McKinney resident's standout performance came on the floor where she posted a score of 9.9 to capture the title of Level 5 Floor Exercise State Champion. Mora finished with several other medals as she grabbed silver in the all-around (39.050) while also finishing second on bars (9.8) and third on beam (9.7).
"Just being one of the top 10 athletes in north Texas to qualify for state is a great achievement," said Laura Beth Mora, University of Gymnastics team director, "but bringing home so many medals and winning first place small team is an amazing accomplishment.
"I am thrilled for the girls."
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