June 13, 2018 -- You knew the competition would be fierce at the Inaugural Tiger Nation Tumbling Challenge when the two teams entered the gym to “Eye of the Tiger.” As the familiar opening chords pulsed through the air, little gymnasts from Fairfax and Canterbury Elementary Schools dashed into the room and took their spots.
The two after-school clubs each boasted more than a dozen gymnasts from grades 1 through 5, competing at the afternoon event organized by tumbling coach Todd Kennedy and hosted by Canterbury Principal Dr. Erica Wigton.
Mr. Todd, as he’s affectionately called by students and parents, has been coaching at Fairfax for over a decade and at Canterbury for the past few years. He would like to add more schools to his list in the future and hopes this event will generate interest in the elementary community.
It certainly generated interest for the Canterbury students who came to watch and could be heard gasping and gushing, “This is amazing,” as they witnessed gravity-defying feats performed by their classmates. Each Fairfax tumbler was allowed to bring one friend on the field trip to balance out the cheering sections.
Students’ nerves were obvious prior to the start as they wiggled and squirmed and slyly eyed their competition throughout the warm-up. Canterbury 3rd grader Laila Phifer-Clay admitted she was “nervous but excited. And I want Canterbury to win!”
This was the first formal competition for many of the young gymnasts, including Fairfax 2nd grader Nave Shanklin, who went on to win the 3rd place prize. “Ms. Hue made me feel better,” Nave said of special education paraprofessional Mia Hue, who served as one of five judges. “She helped me take a deep breath and relax.”
The four other judges were either gymnasts or employees at Mr. Todd’s P.A.C.E. (Positive Attitude Changes Everything) Tumbling Club, which runs on Saturdays on the west side of Cleveland. The schools’ physical education teachers, Julie Lustic and Alice Stratton, provided assistance, along with Heights Middle School 6th grader Ethan Petersol who has been volunteering with the Canterbury after-school tumbling club all year.
The official competition began with a warm-up consisting of calisthenics and stretching, led by the teams’ respective captains, 5th grader Austin Gallagher for Fairfax and 4th grader Damon Loretz for Canterbury. Canterbury won that portion of the competition, which was judged based on precision, timing, and spirit.
Following the team portion, each tumbler completed a compulsory pass, with five required moves: a forward roll step-out, two 2-arm cartwheels, a 1-arm cartwheel and a round-off.
Then the real excitement began as tumblers competed in the Optional program, where they were each free to pick their own moves based on their ability level. Some students repeated the basic cartwheel and forward roll routines, while others added in forward and backward handsprings, ballet-worthy walkovers and impressive full splits. Canterbury’s Damon Loretz, who took home the second place prize, was fast and full of energy as he dove through the air. And Fairfax’s Austin Gallagher, who earned the first place prize, wowed the crowd with a running round-off, backflip, triple back handspring.
All of the students had fun, performed with grace and enthusiasm, and celebrated their teammates’ and their competitors’ accomplishments. The three top winners received medals and the next seven top-scorers earned pins, while all participants took home certificates and ribbons.
CH-UH Board of Education member Malia Lewis, who was in the audience, has been impressed with Mr. Todd’s instruction for “like a million-and-a-half years. He’s attentive and aware of every child’s physical abilities, so he can push them while always being focused on safety. He really works beautifully with children.”
“Plus, this was super fun,” she said of her first ever “Tumble-Off.”
The kids, who walked off with proud grins and plates of pizza and cookies, would no doubt agree.
The event’s winners were:
1st: Austin Gallagher – FFX
2nd: Damon Loretz – CAN
3rd: Nave Shanklin – FFX
4th: Owen Smith – FFX
5th: Raven Ross – CAN
6th: Gianni White – FFX
7th: Jada Davis – CAN
8th: Damira Loretz – CAN
9th: Jazzy Gundy – CAN
10th: Colin White – FFX
