Rome Aerials hope to soar at state
More than 30 girls from the Rome area will be in competition this weekend at the Georgia State Gymnastics at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth.
Winners at the state meet will advance to a huge USA Gymnastics regional meet at the Lakepoint Champions Center in Emerson at the end of the month.
Chloe Schuttinga coaches the Rome Aerials, who hail from Rome, Cartersville, Summerville, Cedartown and Lafayette. They will compete in four classifications: Silver (minimum age 6); Gold (minimum age 7; Platinum (minimum age 8); and Diamond (minimum age 9).
Each class competes in four events that cover the vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam and floor exercise. The events have a specific set of requirements at each level, however the girls can choreograph their own routines.
In order to qualify for the state meet, every girl had to earn high scores in each event at a sanctioned meet during the season.
Mattie Day from Lafayette is the lone high school senior on the team this year. She has been taking gymnastics classes for 16 years and serves as a mentor to the younger girls.
Mattie said her best event is the floor exercise.
Asked if she would be bringing home a gold medal from the weekend competition, she answered, “I sure hope so.”
The Aerials train in the Rome-floyd Parks and Recreation Department gym, located in the headquarters building on Shorter Avenue.
The facility boasts two in-ground pits, an in-ground tumbling track, separate recreational and competitive equipment and all of the usual standard gymnastics and tumbling equipment.
A parents’ viewing area is adjacent to the large practice room.