Gymnast picks up national ranking

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Heather Zolton placed 30th all-around in Level 10 at the United States of America Gymnastics Nationals on May 2-4 in Landover, Md.

That marks the highest national finish for a Suncoast Gymnastics Academy competitor since Jamie Burnette was seventh all-around in 2000.

The four competitors from Suncoast Gymnastics to reach the USAG Nationals are Zolton, Burnette, Jessica Bagwill and Rachel Rose.

"She's got a national ranking right now, which I think is fantastic," Suncoast Gymnastics owner Arnold Gwinn said of Zolton, who bounced back from a broken left foot in February.

Zolton, 15, placed fourth all-around at the USAG state championships in March. She then finished seventh at regionals in April to qualify for nationals.

Zolton, a River Ridge sophomore last season, also made the All-Suncoast Athletic Conference girls weightlifting team.

"Gymnastics has made her incredibly strong," Gwinn said. "Her legs, her arms ... she's definitely a powerful girl."

At the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic tryouts May 4-5 in Port Charlotte, seven Level 4 gymnasts and one Optional Level gymnast from Suncoast took first all-arounds.

The Level 4 group included Danielle Levy, Kathleen Smith, Brionna Patri, Jenny Stuart, Kerri Cason, Jennifer Kacprzynski and Alexis Webb. Tashyanna Plantilla won the optional title.

Those eight gymnasts will be joined by 22 other qualifiers in the AAU Nationals beginning Friday at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista.

The other qualifiers are:

Level 4 -- Rachel Miller, Emily Calamari, Megan Klebbe, Maggie Garda, Liz Chen, Haley Huitt, Meghan Garcia, Lisa Pietschker, Phoebe Gunter and Morgan Rasmussen;

Optional -- Kerri Ann Brinks and Amanda Breen;

Level 3 -- Nikkole Collins, Lindsey Stanley, Brianna Macri, Marisa LaCastri, Samantha Sawyer and Alexis Nagy;

Level 2 -- Danielle Cummings, Amanda Maser, Jennifer Dula and Jamie Loiacano.

STATE CHAMPS: Suncoast Gymnastics' Level 3, 4 and 7 teams took titles at the AAU state meet in April at the University of Tampa.

All-around titles were won by:

Level 3 -- Brianna Oliver and Chelsea Vanos;

Level 4 -- Brittany Houser, Erica Crowle, Cason and Patri;

Level 7 -- Kali Dunning and Mary Coursen.

Hailey Seiler, Lindsey Heyser and Loiacano won first all-arounds on the third-place Level 2 team.

QUICK SWIM: Ridgewood's Joy Taylor won her age group May 11 in the sixth annual Hurricane Man race, a 2.4-mile swim off Pass-a-Grille.

Taylor, an All-Sunshine Athletic Conference swimmer as a Ridgewood freshman last season, competed in the 13-14 age group. The Clearwater Aquatic Team member also placed third among females (ages 11-72) and sixth overall.

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