"Everything just came naturally to her," said Fred Sanidad, Dorothy's father. "She wasn't afraid at all to jump as high as she wanted."

She was recruited to be on the trampoline team at age 4, but her parents, Fred and Erin, decided to wait until this year.

Dorothy qualified at the Hawai'i state meet May 14 by winning the double mini trampoline, tumbling and trampoline categories.

"It feels kind of exciting 'cause I really wanted to go since I was 4," Dorothy said.

She is considered a level 5 trampolinist in the Hawai'i Academy Gymnastics school — a level 10 is the highest and would be considered elite for any age — and usually practices with children ages 8 to 11. These days, she practices three days a week for three hours a day.

She will be joined by four other trampolinists, who are part of the same school.

When Dorothy was only 2 years old, she would spend as much time as she could on the trampoline during her turn at the school before other children took over. Then, she'd go to the balance beam and immediately return to the trampoline, according to her father.

"It was just fun watching her," said Fred Sanidad, who then paused and laughed. "We were getting kind of nervous watching her do this stuff."

Dorothy will begin kindergarten at Sacred Hearts Academy in August.

Kapolei youth wins baseball contest

Mitchell Garcia, 8, of Kapolei, won his age division at the Pepsi Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run Team Championship Competition, at the San Diego Padres PETCO Park on Sunday.

Garcia's combined scores in pitching, hitting and running at the regional competition were enough to put him in contention for one of four berths to the National Finals at the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit.

His scores will be compared to the 7-8 age group regional champions in 28 other MLB ballparks. If his scores are in the top four, he will be invited.

Garcia should know if he is going to the nationals in two weeks, according to Pitch, Hit & Run spokeswoman Jamie Hollopeter.