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Local gymnasts excel in national meet

J.D. Hipp is not the father of 16-year-old Mikaela Snider nor 11-year-old Kailie Wieland. But he’s like a proud papa this month just the same.

Hipp serves as gymnastics coach for Snider and Wieland. Each gymnast competed in the 2019 USA Gymnastic Championships during the first week of July at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, and each turned in memorable performances.

Snider of Clovis reached the finals and finished top-eight there, “which is a big deal,” Hipp said, “because the U.S. Olympic team will come out of the elite pool. Currently there are 12, and she will be one of the 12 that will be going through the Olympic (trial) process next year, trying to make it. Her ultimate goal would be to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”

Wieland of Texico captured third out of 46 competitors, numbers that speak for themselves.

“Oh yeah, no doubt,” Hipp said. “It was one of those things where I told her she had to be on, had to hit, she had to do one of the best 20-skills (two 10-skill routines) she’s ever done. And she did. ... I guess she peaked at the right time.”

For Snider, this month’s outcome is a reward for training three hours a day, six days a week.

“She’s kind of devoted everything to gymnastics for probably the last 10 years of her life,” Hipp said. “It’s her first time being an elite-level athlete. She literally has to compete against the best of the best.”

In addition to her top-eight showing at Des Moines, Snider also earned a silver medal in double-mini trampoline competition there, and took fourth in synchronized trampoline, which is performed with a partner. Snider still has time to get even better, because the average age for international trampolinists is 24, according to Hipp.

Wieland has trained for about three years and competed at Des Moines in what is known as Level 8 against other 11-year-olds.

Both gymnasts seem to have bright futures.

“As long as they can keep their heads in the game and they really go for it, they can go as far as they want to go,” Hipp said.

Snider and Wieland are done competing until December. But for Hipp, the gymnastics coaching goes on. He will take six different athletes to Palm Beach, Florida on Thursday.

“Same qualifying process,” he said. “You still have to qualify, you still have to do well throughout the year. ... I have very high expectations for them.”

Meanwhile, the training goes on for Snider and Wieland.

“Yeah, they’ve got to start learning new stuff for next year,” Hipp said. “Your goal is to keep getting better and better.”