Make-A-Wish Classic Inspires Ultimate Gymnasts

Lake Barrington, IL, December 3, 2017: The 18th Annual Make-A-Wish Classic hosted by Ultimate Gymnastics of Gurnee was held Dec. 1-3, 2017. Proceeds from this event are donated to Make-A-Wish Illinois, which uses the funds to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

In 2014, the Make-A-Wish Classic was named the largest outside fundraising event by the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Over the last 17 years, Ultimate Gymnastics has raised almost $900,000 and has granted over 90 wishes! This year's event, which included more than 30 teams from across Illinois and almost 1,000 participants, is expected to raise an additional $75,000 for Make-A-Wish Illinois.

The spirit of this meet and the courage and determination of the Make-A-Wish recipients always generates excitement in the Ultimate athletes and translated into some outstanding performances.

Ultimate's Level 9 and 10 gymnasts set the bar high on Friday morning, with Anna Becker finishing first on beam and floor exercise and capturing the all-around title for the Level 9 Junior Division. Teammate Ashley Derrick was vault champion. Individual placements for Levels 9 and 10 are as follows:

L9 Junior

Anna Becker: Vault (4th); Bars (5th); Beam (1st); Floor (1st); All-Around (1st)

Ashley Derrick: Vault (1st); Beam (2nd); Floor (3rd); All-Around (5th)

L9 Senior

Abbie Bosko: Vault (5th); Bars (5th); Beam (5th); Floor (5th); All-Around (5th)

Laken Ritzert: Floor (6th)

L10 Senior

Sylvia Raquel: Floor (3rd)

Ultimate's Level 8 athletes were also fired up, bringing home the Level 8 First Place Team banner. In the Child Division, Annika Chudy took vault gold, while teammate Peri Arkin claimed the floor title. In the Junior Division, Emma Haas earned gold on floor while fellow gymnast Bailey Curtis was first on beam and all-around champion for the division. Individual placements for Level 8 are as follows:

Child

Annika Chudy: Vault (1st); Bars (4th); Floor (4th); All-Around (5th)

Peri Arkin: Vault (5th); Floor (1st); All-Around (8th)

Junior

Emma Haas: Vault (6th); Bars (8th); Beam (3rd); Floor (1st); All-Around (2nd)

Bailey Curtis: Vault (2nd); Bars (2nd); Beam (1st); Floor (2nd); All-Around (1st)

Ally Gitler: Vault (4th); Bars (4th); Beam (2nd); All-Around (3rd)

Senior

Jordan-Ann Scott: Vault (4th); Bars (4th); Beam (5th); All-Around (4th)

Ultimate gymnast Kaya Bogot had the Midas touch at Level 7, winning gold on vault, bars, beam, floor and all-around. With top three placements in 13 events, Ultimate also won the First-Place Team title for Level 7. Individual placements are as follows:

Junior 1

Sarah Arends: Beam (7th)

Ellie Butler: Vault (4th); Beam (8th); Floor (7th)

Jillian Ellenwood: Vault (3rd); Beam (9th); Floor (2nd); All-Around (5th)

Sienna Heizer: Vault (8th); Beam (6th); Floor (4th); All-Around (7th)

Junior 2

Christina Raquel: Vault (8th); Beam (4th); Floor (4th)

Senior 1

Emily Chabraja: Vault (8th); Bars (5th); Beam (4th); Floor (5th); All-Around (4th)

Amanda Hamann: Vault (5th); Beam (3rd); Floor (8th); All-Around (6th)

Mia Morello: Vault (4th); Bars (2nd); Beam (2nd); Floor (6th); All-Around (2nd)

Senior 2

Kaya Bogot: Vault (1st); Bars (1st); Beam (1st); Floor (1st); All-Around (1st)

Lindsay Fontana: Vault (2nd); Bars (2nd); Floor (4th)

Ultimate's Level 6 gymnasts collected the Second-Place Team banner, with 16 athletes placing in the top 10 for individual events or all-around. Junior Kenzie Liebau won gold on vault, while Senior teammate Georgie Walsh took first on floor. Individual placements are as follows:

Child

Angelina Appelbaum: Vault (6th); Floor (6th); All-Around (9th)

Alyssah Arends: Bars (3rd); Beam (9th); Floor (7th); All-Around (7th)

Gaby Carvajal: Beam (8th); Floor (9th)

McKenna Cox: Vault (8th); Floor (4th);

Lyla Downe: Bars (7th)

Ellie Haas: Vault (9th); Bars (5th); All-Around (8th)

Nora Werner: Vault (7th)

Junior

Josie Gates: Bars (6th)

Hailey Krueger: Vault (2nd); Beam (2nd); Floor (2nd); All-Around (3rd)

Kenzie Liebau: Vault (1st); Bars (2nd); Beam (4th); Floor (9th); All-Around (4th)

Logan Georgia: Floor (7th)

Livy Tran: Vault (9th); Floor (3rd); All-Around (9th)

Senior

Reese Berke: Floor (5th)

Maya Roiland: Vault (3rd); Bars (5th); Beam (2nd); Floor (2nd); All-Around (2nd)

Lauren Schneider: Vault (7th)

Becca Tran: Vault (4th); Bars (2nd); Floor (4th); All-Around (3rd)

Georgie Walsh: Bars (4th); Beam (5th); Floor (1st); All-Around (4th)

Ultimate's Level 4 team brought their "A-Game" to Make-A-Wish, with two all-around titles and a Third-Place Team finish. Grace Reimers was gold medalist on beam and all-around champion for the Junior A Division. Fellow Junior A's Camryn Clark and Allie Mietus earned gold on vault and bars, respectively. The bars gold and all-around crown for the Junior C division went to teammate Hailey Hamann. Individual placements are as follows:

Junior A

Camryn Clark: Vault (1st); Bars (5th); Floor (8th); All-Around (6th)

Kaylei Davis: Beam (9th)

Allie Mietus: Vault (4th); Bars (1st); Floor (6th); All-Around (4th)

Grace Reimers: Bars (6th); Beam (1st); Floor (2nd); All-Around (1st)

Vanessa Wild: Vault (10th); Bars (10th); Beam (10th); All-Around (10th)

Junior B

Eila Arkin: Vault (7th); Bars (2nd); Beam (5th); All-Around (3rd)

Arianna RIley: Vault (3rd); Bars (4th); Beam (7th); Floor (8th); All-Around (4th)

Jazlyn Robles: Vault (8th); Bars (5th); Beam (6th); Floor (9th); All-Around (6th)

Junior C

Hailey Hamann: Vault (2nd); Bars (1st); Beam (3rd); Floor (5th); All-Around (1st)

Ava Pasquesi: Vault (9th); Bars (7th); Floor (3rd)

Senior A

Olivia Auriol: Vault (5th); Bars (10th); Beam (4th); All-Around (5th)

Olivia Stolzer: Vault (9th); Beam (7th); Floor (5th); All-Around (10th)

Competing in this event for the first time, Ultimate's Level 3 Team put forth an impressive showing, with 11 athletes finishing in the Top 10 for all-around. Junior Sienna Szechinski claimed gold on vault. Individual placements are as follows:

Child

Ashley Applebaum: Vault (4th); Bars (4th); All-Around (6th)

Skye Chaseley: Vault (5th); Bars (3rd); Beam (9th); Floor (10th); All-Around (5th)

Lydia Fakhoury: Bars (10th); Beam (5th); Floor (5th); All-Around (7th)

Caitlin Lanners: Beam (8th); Floor (4th); All-Around (10th)

Abby Leverenz: Vault (7th); Bars (9th); Floor (3rd); All-Around (9th)

Emma Watts: Floor (6th)

Junior

Leah Arceo: Vault (6th); Bars (7th); Beam (9th); Floor (2nd); All-Around (6th)

Karina Gamalski: Vault (8th); Bars (4th); Beam (4th); Floor (7th); All-Around (5th)

Layla Kadera: Vault (5th); Bars (2nd); Beam (6th); Floor (9th); All-Around (2nd)

Halie Stubblefield: Vault (9th); Bars (8th); Beam (5th); Floor (3rd); All-Around (7th)

Sienna Szechinski: Vault (1st); Bars (9th); Beam (8th); Floor (5th); All-Around (8th)

Annika Vanden Biesen: Vault (4th); Beam (7th); All-Around (9th)