Eleven members from Owensboro’s iTumble team recently competed at the United States Tumbling and Trampoline Association (USTA) National Championship in Springfield, Illinois. The team had seven top-10 finishes, including a 1st-place title for 11-year-old Lake McDuffee.
Coach Renee King said 134 teams competed in over 5,000 events, and the top 10 for each were recognized.
“It was the largest-ever national event,” King said.
Lake McDuffee, already recognized as a Kentucky All-Star, placed first in double mini trampoline, along with a second-place finish in tumbling — missing first by a tenth of a point — and third place in trampoline.
“I was so excited,” he said of his first-place win.
McDuffee has been training 4.5 hours weekly for the event and has been involved in the program for 5 years.
He has qualified for Nationals in three of those years, but because of the pandemic he has only completed two.
“I have wanted [to get first place] since I was 3 years old,” he said. “I like to flip.”
McDuffee said he hopes to continue gymnastics through middle school while also playing tennis and football. He also has over 33K followers on TikTok.
Also placing at the National event were Kentucky All-Stars Mya Kemper (4th overall on trampoline), Lily Riley (8th on trampoline), Annabelle Patton (10th in tumbling), and Gia Hamilton (8th on double mini trampoline).
Other team members competing at Nationals were Cara Shaefer, Abby Salisbury, Kinsley Harper, Elsie Christianson, Everly Wood, and Myla Howard.
