Flip City turning out high-level competitors2 min read

By
Jeff Bear
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Gymnasts in the Verde Valley are learning their craft at a young age, and many are beginning to compete at a high level in statewide competitions.

Flip City Gymnastics center in Cottonwood, the only gymnastics center in the Verde Valley, took 15 girls to the 2013 Arizona Level 3 State Championships, Nov. 15 through 18, at Phoenix Gymnastics Center and came away with an eighth-place showing out of the 29 teams that entered.

Several of the girls finished near the top of their divisions, including Joelle Santiago, who took second place in the Junior 8 division; Janicia Ramirez, who took second place in the Junior 2 division; Aysha Khalil, third-place finisher in the Child 8 division and Shania Moore, fifth-place finisher in the Child 2 division.

Khalil, in fact, took first place in her division in the floor exercise, making her the state champion of her age group in that discipline.

“Joelle Santiago was in a tough age division but took second place by only one-tenth of a point and Janicia Ramirez also was second by only one-tenth of a point.” said Dianne Upham, director of Flip City Gymnastics. “Shania Moore took third on floor — she’s up-and-coming — and Nicole Irwin did well on vault. We were very strong overall as a team on the vault.”

In addition to being a gymnastics center, Flip City is a licensed preschool facility where Upham and coach Jared Cummins teach gymnastics to kids starting at age three.

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“They do gymnastics every day or some type of physical fitness while they’re learning and go to school,” Upham said. “We have 22 kids that come three days a week in the mornings for three hours a day, and that will make for great little gymnasts somewhere along the line.

“Shania [Moore] started when she was 16 or 17 months old in the Mommy and Me class. You can’t compete until you’re 6, but we have about 20 more girls who will be eligible to compete next year.”

For the full story, please see the Friday, Dec. 13, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Jeff Bear

Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.

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Jeff Bear
Jeff Bear began his journalism career in 2003 as a graphic designer and sports reporter at the Weekly Register Call in Central City, Colorado. In 2007 he began working at the Canyon Courier in Evergreen, Colorado, as a graphic designer, but soon transferred into the editorial department where he worked as a copy editor and sport reporter under Editor Doug Bell. After a stint as a graphic designer at American Classifieds in 2009-10, Bear began working in 2011 as a copy editor at the Arizona Daily Sun, in Flagstaff. While at the Daily Sun, Bear was tapped by the late Randy Wilson to report on local sports including Northern Arizona University and Olympic medalists training in Flagstaff for the 2012 Olympics. In 2013 Bear began working at the Red Rock News in Sedona, Arizona, where he was an assistant editor and sports editor. Bear has two daughters, Angela and Jessica, with his wife Nina. He is a singer and guitarist, an avid cyclist and hiker, and enjoys camping with family and friends.