East Bay Gymnast wins national titles
CONCORD, CA (June 21, 2023) — Concord’s East Bay Gymnastics program contingent returned from the USA Gymnastics Developmental Program National Championships last month in Oklahoma City with a number of medals, including gold from Mika Webster-Longin as Level 10 Senior B national all-around, uneven bars and floor exercise champion.
Besides Webster-Longin, an incoming senior at St. Mary’s High School who has verbally committed to UCLA, East Bay Gymnastics had other high finishers at meets this spring.
Concord’s 12-year-old Aaliyah Campos, an incoming sixth grader, continued her quest for a national team spot by winning uneven bars bronze in the Level 10 Jr. A Nationals.
Roz Smithwick of Clayton, a senior this fall at Carondelet High School, was a bronze medalist in the vault at the Level 9 Western Nationals in Boise, Idaho. East Bay teammate London Moldre was national silver medalist in balance Beam and floor exercise and all-around bronze medalist.
Nia Kim took silver in the floor exercise at the Boise meet.
Top Bay Area club
Head competitive team coach Lisa Terry was pleased with the performance of her gymnasts at the two prestigious meets. The team trains in a Concord building that has a rich history dating back to the 1970s when Mas Watanabe opened the center. Olympian and USA Gymnastics Hall of Famer Tracee Talavera trained there for Golden Gate Gymnastics and coach Mike Lynch.
East Bay Gymnastics has become a top Bay Area club while developing gymnasts who have earned college scholarships while competing on the national level. “We are definitely proud of our accomplishments,” Terry says.
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.