Walker wins 11th gold medal for Texas Twisters

By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com NEWS & SPORTS – FREE & LOCAL

STEPHENVILLE — Texas Twisters Gym in Stephenville has become synonymous with Junior Olympic success.

To the point of winning 11 gold medals all time. To the point of having eight individuals make the medal podium in the most recent USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Nationals held last week in Fort Worth, including gold medal No. 11 won by young Hayden Walker.

Walker, 7, won the national championship in level seven tumbling.

“What sets Hayden apart is definitely her focus and work ethic,” said head coach and gym owner Lisa Pack, a past cheerleader at both Stephenville High School and Tarleton State University. “When she comes to the gym, it’s not play time, it’s time to go to work and get better and that’s what she does every day.”

At age seven, none the less. And she was far from the only local youth to pull off remarkable achievements at the 2015 games.

Shea Lavy, 8, won a bronze medal in level seven tumbling, finishing just two spots behind Walker in a division dominated by Twisters.

Five others finished in the top eight to land on the podium and receive a medal, including Rebekah Lloyd in trampoline and tumbling, Brinley Hall in tumbling, Michael Bolding in tumbling, Addison Garrett in tumbling and Jayton Wesley in tumbling and trampoline.

Other Twisters in the top 20 in their divisions include Paisley Chandler, Sierra Potter and Cheney Carillo.

Each member of the Twisters earned mobilizing scores, meaning they will move up a level in the next competition season.

Pack is assisted by Dillon Auvenshine, Tyler Nunnelee and Ann Moreno. The head coach says every gold medal makes her want more.

“Every time we win one it fires me up to get back home and get back to work to win the next one,” she says.

And so the countdown to 12 begins. And the tradition of success continues.