Excel Gymnastics of Steamboat Springs has qualified 11 athletes for the Colorado Association of Recreational Athletes state gymnastics meet in Westminster this weekend, after a strong showing at a regional meet earlier this month.

“They did so amazing,” said Sam Kucera, who coaches the CARA team at Excel Gymnastics. “Some of the scores were a little lower than we had expected, but all our athletes placed well. They gave it their all and did some amazing routines.”

At the regional meet, held at Goodson Recreation Center in Centennial, Cameron Keberlien placed third in the all-round scoring in the compulsory 3 routine. She also placed fourth in the vault and bars and sixth in beam and floor. Her teammates, Runa Grove and Sydney Anderson, placed third in the bars and fifth in the vault, respectively. Rylee Larson and Hailey Andrew both placed sixth in the vault.

Kennedy Lechnir finished fourth all-around in the compulsory 2 routine. She was second in the beam, and fifth in the vault and floor.

Athletes on the Steamboat Springs team completed two separate routines at the meet with some taking part in the compulsory, where the gymnasts perform the same preset routines on each apparatus. Others entered the optional, where the gymnasts get to choose their own skills and choreography.

In the optional, Josey Meader was fourth in the all-around with a third-place finish in the bars and a sixth-place finish on the beam. The Steamboat team dominated the vault in the optional routine with Reece Larson taking first, Gabriela Boomgarden taking second, Mira Thornhill taking fourth and Josie Welch in fifth. Thornhill also placed fourth in the floor routine and Welch was also fifth in the beam.

The top scores qualified the Steamboat Springs competitors who traveled to the regional event for the CARA state gymnastics meet, to be held this Saturday and Sunday at the Hyland Hills Sports Center, 4201 West 94th Ave., Westminster.

Kucera said her team, which includes 17 regular athletes, including the 11 who traveled to the regional meet, train year-round. This year the team completed in the regular meet where the Steamboat Springs gymnasts had an opportunity to earn the scores needed to advance to the regional tournament and the chance to compete at the state meet.  

Kucera said her team is one of two groups who train at the Excel Gymnastics of Steamboat and compete in competitive recreational leagues. Excel also has a group of eight athletes that compete as part of the more rigorous USA Gymnastics Development Program.

In addition to competitive programs, Excel Gymnastics offers a number of programs for every level, ranging from entry-level for younger children to more advanced programs for those who want to pursue their dreams of competing in the Olympics.

“We do preschool stuff in the morning, we do in-home day care (providers) and we do preschools including Discovery Learning Center,” said Mike Smith, owner of Excel Gymnastics of Steamboat. “In the summer, we’re doing things with the Steamboat Springs Parks and Recreation Department, South Routt Parks and Recreation and Totally Kids out of Hayden.”

Smith said registration is currently open for 2025-26 school-year programs, and Excel offers open gyms, birthday parties and other events. The gym provides plenty of opportunities for young athletes to pursue gymnastics.

“We spend all year training and looking forward to our competitions,” Kucera said. “Then when the season ends, we take a month off before we continue training for the next year.”