CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Cheyenne high schooler Ciarra Vigil, 17, felt a mix of emotions as she stepped into Lander High School. She said she was slightly anxious but overall eager to perform at the Wyoming State Gymnastics Championship. She finished the event in first place for her performance category.
Hannah Pollock experienced similar emotions as Vigil.
“I was definitely nervous,” Pollock said, but “there was a lot of excitement, too.”
Like Vigil, Pollock catapulted her way to the top of numerous events at the championship event, which took place March 22–23. Pollock, 17, clinched the honor for best all-around competitor in her category.
Vigil and Pollock are teammates on the Cheyenne Gymnastics Team. Over the years, head coach Shannon Mitchell has fostered a training environment characterized by inclusivity, comradery and determination. For many of the team’s young female competitors, Mitchell is as close to family as someone can be, and the studio is like a second home.
Sewing deep connections
Mitchell has been a gymnastics coach for 20 years and sees her students as her own kids. As a teenager in Cheyenne, Mitchell competed in gymnastics before switching over to cheerleading. She started her coaching career while in high school.
The bonds Mitchell has created over the years are long-lasting. Some of her current girls are the children of former students.
“You just get to build a relationship with every one of them,” Mitchell told Cap City News.
Mitchell’s mentorship and guidance have meant everything to Vigil, who sees her coach almost like an aunt. If Vigil isn’t at home or school, she is likely training with Mitchell in the studio.
“We’re just one big family,” said Vigil, who has been a gymnast for 14 years. “I’ve always had somewhere to go after school.”
Vigil competes at the highest category level, Xcel Sapphire, recognized by the USA Gymnastics Xcel program, which provides competition opportunities for athletes of varying skill and experience. The Xcel program contains six levels:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Diamond
- Sapphire
Propelling to the top
In recent months, the Cheyenne Gymnastics Team has been on a tear as many of its young competitors have been taking contest-winning titles and qualifying for larger tournaments. Three of the team’s gymnasts — including Vigil and Pollock — came out on top at the Wyoming State Competition in March, which featured 13 teams throughout the state.
The gymnastics team, comprising 44 female gymnasts ages 7–17, competes in five regular events in addition to the state championships. Teammates in Xcel Gold and above have an opportunity to qualify for their respective regional competitions by scoring enough points during the state championship in Lander. This year, all nine of the team’s gold-level competitors, as well as two Xcel Sapphire athletes, qualified for the USA Gymnastics Regionals tournament.
Vigil was one of Mitchell’s athletes who won in her category in March. She is a sapphire-level gymnast and was the only competitor who performed in her category level at the state championship. The Cheyenne high school senior has been a gymnast for 14 years. The gymnast, who has been on the Cheyenne Gymnastics Team for eight years, practically trains in her sport as if it’s a part-time job. She easily puts in 12–16 hours of training on the beams and bars weekly.
After Vigil graduates from high school this coming May, she plans on attending Laramie County Community College for two years. She then wants to transfer to a four-year institution to complete her degree and work as a biomedical veterinarian scientist. She eventually wants to return to Cheyenne and become a gymnastics coach like Mitchell.
Hannah Pollock, who has been a gymnast for 12 years, stuck the landing at the state championship with first-place finishes in vault, bar, beams, floor and all-around at the state competition. She competes in the Xcel Diamond level. One aspect she loves about gymnastics is that there’s always something she can improve on. Pollock’s favorite gymnastics event is floor because she can express her personality through her movement and routines.
The third gymnast on Mitchell’s team who earned first place at Wyoming’s championship event is Aviah Edwards. The 13-year-old Xcel Gold competitor first became interested in gymnastics while watching the Olympic Games at a young age. Her friends at school eventually started gymnastics, which pulled her into the sport.
“[There’s] a lot of power and grace that is put into it,” Edwards said.
Edwards has been competing for five years. Over time, she has worked on being more confident in her performances and not being harsh on herself. She always looks forward to being with her teammates, learning and having fun.
The Cheyenne Gymnastics team is gearing up for two regional competitions in the coming weeks. The event for Xcel Gold gymnasts takes place May 3–5 in Aurora, Colorado. Xcel Sapphire competitors are traveling farther away for their meet, which takes place April 26–28 in Fort Worth, Texas.
