High Uinta Gymnastics (HUG) heads to Wyoming USA Gymnastics Xcel and JO State Championships 2018 this weekend. The competition will be in Gillette, Saturday and Sunday, at the Campbell County Rec Center with teams from around the state.

Gymnasts will compete in vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam, floor exercise and the all-around events. HUG’s levels are Bronze, Silver and Gold Xcel gymnasts. Following is a slight tutorial to explain the events.

Vaulting is the act of sprinting down a runway, leaping onto a springboard, and propelling one’s body hands-first onto a mat stack for the lower levels or using the vaulting table for the upper levels and performing some kind of flipping or twisting action. Vaulting success comes from the speed of the run, the length of the hurdle, and the power generated from the legs and shoulders of the gymnast. 

The control of the landing creates the crowning effect of the skill performed. Of course, we always want it to be a “stuck” landing, no steps or movement whatsoever.

The uneven parallel bars are two horizontal bars that adjust to varying heights and widths. The gymnast must perform a series of skills that take them over, under, and around or on the bars. They must circle, swing, release, squat and show all manner of strength by keeping their arms and legs together and straight at all times unless they are doing a tuck or straddle skill. They too must dismount from the bar with a stuck landing. 

Balance beam is the event that can change in an instant. A gymnast is expected to do a choregraphed routine in 15 to 90 seconds 4 feet off the ground on a 3.9-inch-wide, 16-foot-long padded spring beam. They must show balance, strength, leaps, jumps, turns, and acrobatic skills without wobbling or falling — then perform a dismount with a stuck landing. It is truly an amazing event when done well.

Floor exercise is the crowning event for most spectators. It takes place on a 39-foot by 39-foot square spring floor, which is carpet over a layer of hard foam, plywood and springs.  This provides a firm yet responsive surface to show off a choregraphed routine lasting 30 to 90 seconds to an instrumental piece of music. The gymnasts must perform dance skills, tumbling passes, all while demonstrating flexibility, strength, power, and height. All skill landings must be stuck to receive their maximum value.

The all-around is the total of all the individual event scores for an individual gymnast. The team score is the highest three event scores from each apparatus. This total creates a total score or the “team award.”