by Dave Delgado
Guam - Island Twisters Gymnastics has just returned from our International Gymnastics meet in Hawaii. Aisha Tangi, 13 years old, is Guam's first gymnast to compete off-island. She competed in the Aloha Gymfest meet that was held in Kailua, Hawaii from Jan. 14th-16th. This is the 35th year for the Aloha Gymfest to be running, and it was held at Le Jardin Academy.
The competition consisted of 27 teams; the teams were from Australia, Japan, Canada, Alaska, California, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, Texas, etc....Many teams from different countries and U.S. states. There were 240 gymnasts total, from Level 4 through Level 10.
Aisha placed 6th on Vault, 6th on Floor, 8th on beam and bars, she received 7th place all-around. Aisha competed in the Level 6 category, there were about 30 gymnasts in Level 6 category from different countries and states.
A team from Sydney, Australia (NSW Academy Gymnastics) took 1st through 5th place in the individual awards and Aisha Tangi from Guam (Island Twisters) came in right behind Australia in 6th place on a couple of the events. Awards in the meet were given out all the way down to 13th place. If you look at it from the "point of view" of a "Country Placement Standing", she placed 2nd and 3rd on the events for Guam...which is really good for Guam.
The event she did the best on was the vault which she scored a 9.10 ...The type of vault at the meet was the Table Vault which she never vaulted on before. The vault at our gym is the "old school" Horizontal Vault which is currently out-dated... but it was all that we had for her to practice on.
Aisha Tangi is Guam's Top Notch, Best Gymnast and the First and Only gymnast to ever go and represent Guam in an off-island International Gymnastics Competition.
Making history for the first time in Guam's gymnastics, I hope you would be able to consider this for the news to inspire other gymnasts on Guam... that future gymnasts on Guam can also reach a level good enough to compete against other countries and it is possible to do very well too, like Aisha did.
Melinda Heath contributed to this report