In April of this year, 14 tumbling students from the North Shore, aged 4-10, traveled to Marshalltown, Iowa, to compete in the State Meet. Because the United States Tumbling and Trampoline Association (USTA) is still growing in Minnesota, and due to the lack of other tumbling clubs in Minnesota, the MN Academy of Tumbling team had to travel to Iowa to compete. Over 700 events were entered for the State Meet, held at the end of April, as that meet is the qualifier for Nationals, which will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. Coach Brittany Hammond said, “We are the pioneers of establishing a strong presence in the area.”
Representing Cloquet were Level 2 gymnasts Everly Cook, Flynn Peterson, Iola Fischer, Lilenyx Summers, and Level 3 gymnast Brynlee Thompson. From Gary New Duluth were Level 2 gymnasts McKenna Hales, Tysa Larue, and Level 3 gymnast Shawn Parenteau. Two Harbors was represented by Level 2 gymnasts Elsie Nelson and Ellie Mae Koster, and Level 3 gymnast Isabella Heinonen. Finally, Silver Bay was represented by Level 1 gymnast Oren Anderson, Level 2 gymnast Nora Vandoren, and Level 3 gymnast Sonya Vandoren.
“The students did so amazing for their first year,” Coach Hammond said of their state competition. Four year old Oren Anderson won State Champion, and eight students qualified for Nationals. The six students will be going to Kentucky to compete on June 22. The National Qualifiers are Oren, Brynlee, Lilenyx, Elsie, Tysa, Flynn, Ellie Mae, and Everly.
The MN Academy of Tumbling is a nonprofit tumbling and gymnastics club, founded in May 2023. Satellite programs are currently offered in Cloquet, Gary New Duluth, Proctor, West Duluth, Lakeside, Hermantown, Two Harbors, and Beaver Bay. The group offers both recreational and competitive tumbling and is affiliated with USTA and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).
Summer classes and camps are being offered, and the MN Academy of Tumbling can be found on Facebook. Coach Hammond can be contacted at (319) 202-4226 to register. Congratulations to Coach Hammond and the six gymnasts representing our area at the United States Tumbling and Trampoline Nationals this month!
