Stumpf girls teams win at Graffiti invite

The Level 9 team from Stumpf's Gymnastics Center recently won first place at the Graffiti Invitational. Members of the team, pictured from left, are: front row - Melissa Blando, Katie Kaiser and Erin Hamister; back row - Kaitlyn Lopez and Kailyn Arcury.

The upper-level girls from Stumpf's Gymnastics Center competed in the Graffiti Invitational hosted by Flips Gymnastics of Lockport.

Included in the three-day event were gymnasts from across New York State, Ohio and Michigan. The Level 10 squad had a very strong showing, winning first place as a team and having all girls in the top 10 in all-around.

The 14-and-under age group was led by Kaitlyn Lopez, who scored a 35.775 overall and won the vault with a 9.200. Lopez was also fourth on bars, fifth on balance beam and seventh on floor exercise. Kailyn Arcury placed fifth overall as well as fourth on floor and 12th on beam. A pair of second-place finishes on vault and uneven bars highlighted Arcury's performance.

Teammate Erin Hamister placed sixth in all-around, fifth on vault, sixth on uneven bars, 10th on beam and second on floor with a solid 9.325.

Melissa Blando and Katie Kaiser represented the 15-and-over age group. Blando placed fourth in all-around competition and was vault champion with an 8.55. She was also ninth on beam and second on uneven bars and floor. Kaiser was seventh all-around with sixth-place finishes on vault, uneven bars and beam and a 10th-place finish on floor.

The Level 10 team won third-place team honors and placed all girls in the top 10 in all-around. The team also produced an all-around champion when Courtney Connors scored 36.875 and placed first in the 15-and-under age group. Connors was also champion on the uneven bars and beam and fourth on vault and floor.

Erica Gasiecki was seventh all-around, sixth on floor, seventh on uneven bars, eighth on balance and ninth on vault. Kristina Arcury was eighth all-around and uneven bars. Arcury was also ninth on floor and had a pair of sixth-place finishes on vault and beam. Teammate Amanda Recor was ninth in all-around and vault, seventh on beam and 10th on floor. Recor's performance was highlighted by a third-place finish in vault where she scored a 9.175.

The Level 8 squad also won third-place team honors and saw several girls rank in the top 12. Chelsea Recor, of the 14-and-under age group, led the team with a 36.750 and earned second place overall. Recor was also second on beam, fourth on vault and ninth on floor. Mary Hamilton was ninth all-around, sixth on floor and 10th on vault. Hamilton's best finish was on uneven bars, where she scored a 9.20 and earned fifth place. Rachel Kistner was 10th all-around as well as on beam. Her 9.35 on floor was also awarded seventh place.

Teammate Alex Sada was 11th all-around and on vault. A solid 9.425 floor exercise routine led the team and placed fourth in the event finals.

Also in the event finals, Audrey Mulhisen placed 12th on beam, Rachel Utech placed 11th on beam, and Chelsea Zirna placed third on vault with a team-high 9.175.

Due to injury, Emma Lasker competed in only two events. She earned seventh on uneven bars and third on beam with a 9.225.

Kelsey Kuppinger was the team's only representative in the 15-and-over age group. Kuppinger gave a solid performance, which earned sixth place overall. Additionally, she had a pair of fourth-place finishes on vault and beam and a second-place finish on floor with a 9.25.