The results of the USTA Southern IL State Championships are impressive: 4 State Champions, 15 top three finishes, and 27 of the 28 tumblers competing qualified for Nationals.
We couldn’t be more proud! 🎉
Special shoutout to our advanced senior athlete, Ashlyn Akerson, who received the 2024 USTA Southern Illinois Senior Scholarship Award. Ashlyn is the second Advanced or Elite Gem City athlete to receive this honor after Maggie Schutte received the award in 2018.
We also had two Advanced State Champions in Ruby Akerson and Christian Klingele. Congrats on a great season to all of our athletes and good luck at Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky. Here are the expanded results.
Tumbling team athletes are coached by Zeke Cernea, Anne Nash, Sydney Sherman, and Lydia Schrand. Read more about the Gem City’s tumbling team here.
National Qualifiers
- 🏆Ruby Akerson – Advanced – 1st 🥇
- 🏆Christian Klingele – Advanced – 1st 🥇
- 🏆Sierra Bergman – Sub Advanced – 1st 🥇
- 🏆Hunter Buehler – Sub Novice – 1st 🥇
- Jamie Burton – Novice – 2nd 🥈
- Kayden Hill – Sub Novice – 2nd 🥈
- Henry Keppner – Intermediate – 2nd 🥈
- Isla Ufkes – Sub Advanced – 2nd 🥈
- KK Vazquez-Epperson – Advanced – 2nd 🥈
- Niah Vazquez-Epperson Nov 2nd 🥈
- Morgan Venvertloh – Intermediate – 2nd 🥈
- Ashlyn Akerson – Advanced – 3rd 🥉
- Hadley Trowbridge – Intermediate – 3rd 🥉
- Esther Vazquez-Epperson Nov 3rd 🥉
- Ryli Zahringer – Sub Advanced – 3rd 🥉
- Vivian Kuchy – Sub Novice – 4th
- Ellisyn Stratman – Sub Advanced – 4th
- Ella Wietholder – Intermediate – 4th
- Payton Palmer – Sub Novice – 5th
- Mae Pittman – Sub Advanced – 5th
- Madilynn Wiseman – Novice – 6th
- Mayvee Miller – Intermediate – 8th
- Grace Stokes – Sub Novice – 11th
- Lyza Carlin – Sub Novice – 12th
- Dorothy Boehmer – Intermediate – 12th
- Jenna Waschenbach – Sub Novice – 13th
- Amiya Crabill – Sub Novice – 15th
Other Results
- Charley Denton – Sub Novice – 23rd