Bartlesville gymnasts tumble into season with success
A crew of petite and flexible girls honed to near-perfect precision are Bartlesville’s ambassadors in leotards.
As such, the dedicated members of the Bartlesville Gymnastics Club (BGC), and its coaches and leaders, have done their part to put the City of Legends on the map.
The program remained plenty busy during the fall and early winter.
Near the beginning of the fall-through-spring campaign, the BGC hosted the 57th Bartlesville Gymnastics Annual Invitational (BGAI) — the longest-such ongoing event in the good ol’ USA. Athletes from throughout Oklahoma — and surrounding states — invaded Bartlesville to participate in the competition.
The BGC scored big in the historic tumble rumble. Lorelei Weikle soared to first place in the Level 7 group, earning her a spot in the 2024 National Judges Cup, which took place recently in Illinois. The judges cup has one thing in common with the Phillips invitational.
While the BGAI is the longest-running gymnastics competition of its type in a stationary location, the judges cup is the longest-going meet that changes locations each year.
Also winning first place for the BGC in her level at the BGAI was first-year Level 9 battler Lindsey Lief.
The BGC slate of contenders this season represent Xcel Gold, Level 6, Level 7, Level 8, Level 9 and Level 10.
“Right now we have a great group of athletes that work hard, who are resilient, and who care to nurture their dreams and grow their strengths,” said Lorrie Bertolet, long-time coach and leader of the BGC.
The primary coaching staff also includes Abi Matthews, Rachel Coyle and Sierra Stouffer. Matthews, a former elite competition gymnast. Stouffer is the club’s AAU head coach and a former BGC warrior. Coyle participated in gymnastics in Bartlesville and is in her 21st year with the BGC.
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville gymnasts tumble into season with success
