Crosstumblers shine at Hilton event

Crosstumblers Gymnastics once again had an outstanding showing at the 2006 Hilton Invitational over the weekend.

The competition is one of the largest in Northern Nevada with more than 23 teams and 330 gymnasts competing in the three day event.

In the men's competition, 7 year old Ryan Walker took the top honors for the team in the Level 4 division. Walker's all around score of 49.10 earned him the bronze medal. He also placed second on rings (8.8), third on high bar (8.0) and pommel horse (7.7), fourth on floor exercise (8.35) and fifth on vault (8.9).

Level 5 gymnast Malik DePasquale also did well scoring an all around total of 46.20 for 12th place. He also placed sixth on floor with a score of 8.6. This was the second competition at this level for DePasquale, having competed at the High-Tech Invite in Sacramento on Jan. 14, where he took second on parallel bars (8.9) and third on floor (8.85).

In the girl's competition, Level 4 gymnast Madison Foley had a day of personal bests. Placing third all around with a score of 35.575, Foley also placed second on vault (9.275), third on floor (8.7), and sixth on uneven bars (9.1).

Twelve year old Michelle McDonald competed in the level 6 division despite recently having broken her toe. Although not in top form, she competed well on all events placing 10th on balance beam in spite of having fallen twice and 13th in the all around.

Level 7 gymnast Gina Gallo also returned to competition after a difficult year plagued by injuries. Her all around score of 32.075 placed fifth and qualified her to advance to Level 8, although she will probably continue at her current level for another season. She also took third on vault (8.55) and fourth on floor (8.0).

The Crosstumblers team will travel to Rohnert Park this weekend to compete at the Wine Country Classic. The team works out between five and 12 hours each week to prepare for the competition season. For more information on Crosstumblers, call Steffany Walker, 883-5477. Crosstumblers is located at 940 Mallory Way No. 3 in Carson City.