Local girls bring home gymnastics gold in state event
<p>Adelaide Heigel and Cali Iacolucci show off their All-Around gold medals from the recent Idaho State Gymnastics Finals.</p>
Thirteen athletes from Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry competed in a one-day tournament in Pocatello for the Idaho State Gymnastics finals March 27.
Competition involved the four standard categories of bars, beam, floor and vault. Adelaide Heigel and Cali Iacolucci, both of Bonners Ferry, took the highest honors and each brought home the all-around state title for their respective age group.
Addy, daughter of Julie and Chris McCulla and a local third grader, has been competing since 2012. This competition awarded her a first place on beam, second on bars, floor and vault, earning her the top combined scores and the All-Around title.
Cali, a fifth grader and daughter of Chad and Missy Iacolucci, started her competition career in 2014.
She brought home a fifth on vault, third on bars and floor and a first place on beam. Her combined scores also earned her the All-Around.
The STEP Training Centre team was full of winners with top scores also going to Laurel Larson, Madelynn Papeleo and Taylor Payne. With these scores and the added scores from the rest of the Silver teammates, the gym also brought home a second place Team Award, topping six other teams in state.
The girls both travel two days a week to Sandpoint for a total of six hours of training at STEP Training Centre. Celebrating their tenth year, the gym focuses on the Xcel program.
This area of competition gives athletes the opportunity to compete without the time commitment and expense of an Olympic style gym. The competition season starts in January with the girls traveling around the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area.
STEP (which stands for Seeking To Encourage People) offers a wide variety of gymnastic classes including circus and silks, aerial awareness, (great for skaters and snowboarders) and hoops, as well as standard gymnastic tumbling. There are classes for all levels and ages from 4 to 64.
With the season over the girls get a little down time as they start new routines and add new skills for upcoming competitions. For more information on the STEP Training Centre and the programs it offers they may be reached at (208) 290-4513.