Maui Invitational brings top collegians, youngsters
Advertiser Staff
WAILUKU, Maui — Top college teams and three first-team All-Americans will join more than 250 young gymnasts from Hawai'i and the Mainland at the eighth annual Maui Gymnastics Invitational, tomorrow through Sunday, at the War Memorial Gym in Wailuku.
More than 300 athletes are registered for the event, which is presented by Maui Gymnastics and the Gymnastics Foundation of Maui and co-sponsored by the County of Maui.
The opening night college meet will feature Stanford University, which made it to the NCAA Super Six last season for the first time in school history. The Cardinal is coached by Kristen Smyth, a 1988 Maryknoll High graduate who was a three-time All-American at the University of California.
Stanford has three sophomores who earned first-team All-America honors: Lise Leveille, Kendall Beck and Lindsay Wing.
The other college teams are Arizona State, a perennial powerhouse that finished 18th nationally; New Hampshire, which has qualified for 21 consecutive NCAA Regionals; and San Jose State, which sent four gymnasts to the Regionals last season, the most ever for the Spartans.
There will be 18 club teams competing at the two-day club meet — seven from the Mainland and 11 from Hawai'i.
The club teams from Hawai'i are Aloha Gymnastics World ('Aiea), Hawai'i Academy (Honolulu), Hawaiian Island Twisters (Kane'ohe), Kokokahi Gymnastics Team (Kane'ohe), Kona Aerials Gymnastics, Maui Gymnastics (Wailuku), Pacific Gymnastics (Hilo), Pantheon School of Gymnastics (Hilo), Rainbow Gymnastics Academy ('Aiea), Schofield Gymnastics, and Tradewinds Academy of Gymnastics (Kihei).
Mainland club teams are Desert Devils (Mesa, Ariz.), Desert Lights Gymnastics, (Chandler, Ariz.), Golden Gate Gymnastics (Concord, Calif.), Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy (Temecula, Calif.), Stars Gymnastics (Bakersfield, Calif.), U.S. Gold (Grapevine, Texas), and World Class Gymnastics (Newport News, Va.).
The college meet begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow, with awards at 8. The club meet will have Levels 7 and 8 at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Level 9 at 1:30 p.m. and Level 10 and Elite at 5. The club meet concludes Sunday with Levels 5 and 6 at 9:30 a.m. and Level 4 at 12:30 p.m.
Advance ticket prices for the college meet are $8 for age 13 and older, $4 for youths/seniors, and under 5 free. At the door, prices will be $10 and $5. For the club meet, the price per day is $7 for age 13 and older, $5 youths/seniors, under 5 free. Tickets can be purchased at Maui Gymnastics, 891 Alua St., Wailuku, or call (808) 283-9340.
