Six members of the Yvonne DeKay School of Dance Tumbling Team are heading to the national Junior Olympics in Virginia Beach the last week in July.

Yvonne DeKay said that getting to the national competition requires competitors to make it through qualifying rounds of competition and then place in the top 10 to get to nationals. At the Junior Olympics, athletes compete based upon their skill level and must go through qualifying rounds, said DeKay.

DeKay praised the tumbling team coaches Dawn Colley and Dianne Isaac for the work they have put into preparing the team for the competition.

“They’re both very strict but yet they’re a lot of fun,” said DeKay. “I think they’re all going to do a good job. They’re very good, all six of them.”

Dianna Isaac said that the team has been practicing several hours a week and has put in a lot of time for the competition.

“We have them come in extra before we get ready to go,” said Isaac.

Isaac and Colley have been working with the team to prepare them both physically and emotionally for the competition.

“It’s a challenge. You want to make sure they are ready to go,” said Isaac. “Right now they are looking pretty good. I am pretty sure we’re going to have quite a few winners. They’re excited.”

Isaac said that the national competition has potential for helping young athletes pursue a career in tumbling since the competition can help athletes get noticed for potential tumbling scholarships.

Both Isaac and DeKay said the tumbling team have the potential to rank in the top ten at the competition, but no matter what the outcome, the team can be sure that their coaches recognize their hard work.

“We’re just so proud of them,” said Isaac.

Tumbling team members are Grier Campbell, Kaeli Huff, Kyleigh McNeely, Rylee McDonald, Ellea Gullihue, and Madison Griffith.