The annual GymQuarters Invitational club meet will take place this weekend and FloGymnastics will be on site and live streaming the Level 10 Podium Challenge session on Friday the 16th. Teams are made up of up to six gymnasts with four competing per event and the top three scores counting towards the team score. This exciting and team-oriented competition is always a highlight of the weekend.

We’ve provided a preview of what to expect on each event and the top gymnasts to watch at this competition below.

Check out the full list of Podium Challenge competitors here.

Big Yurchenkos and Unique Vaults

The Yurchenko full is a fairly standard vault to see from a Level 10 gymnast, and the key to standing out amongst the crowd is to make this vault as big as possible. Several gymnasts have proven they can do this, including future Georgia GymDog Soraya Hawthorne from GymStars, whose Yurchenko full has both the height and distance to turn heads. Hawthorne recently scored a 9.8 to snag first place at the City of Lights Invitational earlier this month. 

Another strong vaulter is Kennedi Harris from Fuzion, a future Arizona Wildcat, who also competes a Yurchenko full. She recently scored a huge 9.825 for her vault at the Pikes Peak Cup. 

For a more unique vault, check out Rachel Smith from GymStars. Smith, a future Southern Utah gymnast, competes a Yurchenko full twist on, pike off, which is a 10.0 vault by NCAA standards. Check out her vault from the recent Metroplex Challenge:

Sky-High Releases on Bars

The amount of talent on bars competing at this meet is huge, from previous NCAA gymnasts to future college stars. Valeri Ingui may be a familiar name - she finished up at Lindenwood University in 2016, where she competed as a collegiate gymnast, but decided she wasn’t quite done yet with the gymnastics world. Ingui now trains at GymQuarters as a Level 10 gymnast. She was critical to Lindenwood’s bars lineup, and it will be exciting to see how she has improved since her NCAA days.

Three Twistars gymnasts worth watching for their bars work are Kai Rivers, Alyssa Al-Ashari and Delanie Harkness. Rivers is committed to LSU, due to start for the 2019-2020 season, and had a hugely successful J.O. season last year, having won both the Nastia Liukin Cup and J.O. Nationals all-around title for her group. She has a routine packed with difficulty, including a shaposh, huge Tkatchev, and double layout dismount. Check out her routine below from the recent 2018 Twistars’ Invite:

Video via Region 5 Gymnastics Insider

Al-Ashari is also a powerful bar swinger. She has beautiful form on bars and swings easily, all the way through to her big double layout dismount. Al-Ashari placed first on bars at last year’s J.O. Nationals, scoring a 9.725. Teammate Harkness matched her score at J.O. Nationals, tying for second in her group, and recently scored a 9.5 on the event at the Buckeye Classic this year. 

Finally, another gymnast to watch out for is Alexa Al-Hameed from Triad. Al-Hameed has a couple of high scores to her name already this season, including a 9.7 at the Arizona Sunrays Classic Rock Invitational earlier this month, and a 9.725 for first place at the Classic Spectacular. Al-Hameed, a future Oklahoma Sooner, qualified to this year’s Nastia Liukin Cup thanks to her performance at the Classic Spectacular, where she totaled a 38.65 in the all-around. 

Triple Series and Stacked Combos on Beam

This competition will feature lots of difficulty, unique moves and beautiful form on beam. Hawthorne, who we highlighted as one to watch on vault, is also outstanding on beam. She recently scored a 9.5 to take first place at the City of Lights Invitational earlier this month. One of our favorite moves is her front toss that she does from a kneeling position. 

Olivia Ahern from River City is also one to watch out for. Ahern recently competed at the Fiesta Bowl National Qualifier Meet, where she placed 2nd on beam with a 12.55. Although she had a few wobbles, her triple series of two back handsprings to layout to two feet is super impressive. Charity Chen from Tampa Bay Turners is another gymnast who competes an impressive triple series. Chen recently scored a 9.55 for this routine at the Tampa Bay Turners Invitational. In addition to her series, she also competes an impressive combo of an L turn connected into an aerial cartwheel to split leap to straddle quarter.

Speaking of uniqueness on beam, we can’t forget Amy Wier from GymQuarters, who showed off this skill in training - a side aerial with half turn:

LOVE this unique skill from GymQuarters' Amy Wier ?????? pic.twitter.com/BvBhRpWUp1

— FloGymnastics (@FloGymnastics) June 21, 2017

Bringing the Power on Floor

Watch for some powerful tumbling and preciseness on floor at this competition. Many of the gymnasts throw sky-high flips, but manage to keep the landings in control to minimize deductions and score big. Both Rivers from Twistars and Smith from GymStars, who we highlighted on bars and vault, respectively, are also key gymnasts to watch on floor. Rivers has had a good start to the year on floor, having scored a 9.675 at the Buckeye Classic in January. Similarly, Smith scored the exact same at the Atlanta Crown Invitational in the same month 

Other gymnasts to watch out for include Skylar Killough-Wilhelm from Triad, who scored a 9.625 at the Tampa Bay Turners Invitational, and Logan Clagg from CCGI, who scored a 9.475 at J.O. Nationals last year. Check out Clagg’s strong tumbling in her routine below:

Video via Tim Clagg

Notable Mentions:

Abigail Mueller, Classic

Libby Orman, Classic

Madison Sakalosky, Tampa Bay Turners

Hannah Kolars, Triad