LaFleur's team savors state championships

By NANCY MORGAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001

These girls just want to have fun.

Along the way, they won individual state championships in gymnastics.

In last month's Level 4 state competition, Kaley LaFleur, Brynn Fullmer, Ashleigh Johansen and Alana Rivera scored all-around firsts in their respective age divisions and helped LaFleur's Gymnastics of Largo capture second .

"It was nice to see all the girls' hard work pay off at the right time," said Melody LaFleur, who coaches the team with her husband, Mike.

"They all had good seasons leading up to the state meet, and we're so glad they had a good day in their final competition of the season," LaFleur said.

Melody and Mike played dual roles -- coach and parent.

As the parents of Kaley and former college gymnasts, they found the state event nerve-wracking as well as fun.

"Having now been on both sides as parent and coach," said Melody, "I can say that being the parent of a gymnast is the toughest. As a parent, we're just glad Kaley had such a good day."

Kaley was unbeaten throughout the season and thought about the possibility of winning at state as she prepared for her last event of the meet.

"When I got to the vault competition, I thought that I might win," Kaley said. "It was good, too, that vault is also my favorite event."

She went on to a victory in the vault after having won the uneven bars title.

A second in the floor exercise and a third on the balance beam resulted in an all-around championship for Kaley, who posted the highest all-around score among all the gymnasts.

"Beam is the most difficult event for me, so I spend more time working on it," said Kaley, a fourth-grader at Northside Christian.

"Now in Level 5, I'll be working on new and more difficult skills," she said.

Johansen won the bars, vault and beam competitions en route to her state title.

"I started competing just about two years ago and really like it," said the Seminole Middle School sixth-grader.

"I was really surprised to win at state, but I knew I had had a lot of fun competing."

For the last five years, Rivera, 10, has devoted her time to gymnastics "Because I like flipping, bars are my favorite, and I think I have more strength for that event," said the Blessed Sacrament fifth-grader.

"For me, balancing on the beam and doing tricks is the hardest."

Rivera wonin the vault and floor events, was second on bars and fourth on the beam.

Fullmer didn't realize she was an overall champion until the announcement.

"I've been involved in gymnastics since I was about 3 years old," said Fullmer, 8. "It's fun, and I like to compete.

"When I get nervous at competitions, I just concentrate real hard," she said.

SWIMMING: The Clearwater Aquatic Team is having its Winter Invitational at the Long Center for about 650 swimmers from around the state.

The competition, for all age groups, began Friday evening. The schedule for today and Sunday is 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..

For more information, call 791-9542.

SKIING: Christina Dicus of Dunedin is No.1 in the Junior I/II Southern Division of the U.S. Ski Association.

Dicus is a member of the Southern Alpine Racing Association, which includes racers from Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia.

USSA rankings are based on a point system, in which each racer is given 999.99 points at the beginning of the season. As racers do well, points drop.

Competing in slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill, Dicus' best race is the slalom. The 17-year old has 235.72 points in the event.

Dicus is the only female to have entered all four in the USSA Eastern Finals. The 2000-2001 season opened last month.

DIVING: USA coach Terry Gumz is offering beginner and advanced beginner lessons for the Dunedin Recreation Division at the city's Highlander Pool.

Gumz, a former Indiana high school state champion, offers classes for the club from 4-6 p.m. daily. For more information, call the Dunedin Recreation Division, 298-3266.

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL: Clearwater American Little League is having registration for players. Call Lou Capara, 736-0502, and Mary Goss, 462-9717.

Players can register for the Clearwater National Little League by contacting Dennis Bosi, 446-1051.

Call (813) 961-3424 to learn about the Lady Bombers 10-and-under team, Tim Cook (787-1446) for under 12, Dave Brandon (785-1230) for under 14 and Rob Hanson (399-2165) for under 16.

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