Published: 05/27/2026 - 8:00 AM
On Wednesday May 13, 2026 the Willow Grove YMCA Twisters family gathered at The Fuge in Warminster, Pennsylvania for the 2026 Annual Gymnastics Banquet. The theme was Old Hollywood: The Twister Era, a celebration of a remarkable 2025–2026 season and a tribute to the program's 2025 YMCA National Champions.
From the moment the doors opened it was clear this would not be a typical year-end gathering. Families dressed for the red carpet. The Fuge's wraparound video board transformed the room into a Hollywood sound stage. And one by one, every level of the Twisters program walked the red carpet for an NBA-style team introduction that honored what they had accomplished.
This recap is the story of that night and of the season behind it.
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The Ring Ceremony
Honoring the 2025 YMCA National Champions
Before the new season could be celebrated, there was unfinished business to take care of.
In 2025, two Willow Grove Twisters teams climbed to the very top of YMCA gymnastics, the Level 4 Boys Division 2 team and the Level 8 Girls team both won YMCA National Championships. But because last year's Nationals took place after the 2025 banquet, the program never had the chance to celebrate those teams in front of their entire community.
Wednesday night was that moment.
"These rings represent something that can never be taken away. A championship. A legacy."
Greater Philadelphia YMCA Association Gymnastics Director, Darlene Malone, delivered remarks honoring both championship teams. Head Coach, Mubarak "Mo" Simmons, presented each ring individually, Level 4 Boys first, then Level 8 Girls, nineteen rings in all. Persian green gemstones. The YMCA Y on top. NATIONAL CHAMPIONS arcing around the stone. The Philadelphia skyline engraved on the side alongside "GPY" a reminder that Willow Grove stands proudly as part of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA family.
When the last ring was placed and both teams stood together for the championship photo, the entire room was on its feet. It was the moment of the night.
Boys All Levels
Level 3 D2 + Level 4 D2 + Level 7
They opened the night. They set the tone.
The Twisters Boys program brought championship-level credibility to the Red Carpet as the first group out of the gate. The Level 3 Boys put together one of the most dominant seasons in program history, winning 1st Place Team at three major invitationals, the 2025 Men's Liberty Cup, the KMC Mushroom Classic, and the 2026 Brian Babcock Invitational, before finishing 5th at the PA Men's State Championships. Hosea Wenger led the way with multiple All Around titles across the entire season, including a clean sweep at PA States where he won the All Around, Rings, and High Bar titles in the 11+ division.
The Level 4 Boys finished 2nd at the Liberty Cup and 4th at PA Men's States, anchored by Michael Bullick's KMC Mushroom Classic All Around championship and Benjamin Coleman and Jayden Silva's consistent podium presence across the season. And in Level 7, Jason Raysor put together a year for the ages, winning All Around, Rings, Parallel Bars, and High Bar titles at the KMC Mushroom Classic and finishing as co-All Around Champion at PA Men's States with Floor and Vault titles.
44 event and All Around titles across the Boys program this season. The march-in had its standard bearers.
Team Championships: 3 (Liberty Cup, KMC, Brian Babcock: L3)
Total Boys Titles: 44 across all levels
PA Men's States: L3: 5th | L4: 4th | L7: Co-AA Champion
Most Improved Boys L3: Idris El-Shabazz | Boys L4: Nick Mapp
Gold Standard Boys L3: Hosea Wenger | Boys L4: Ben Coleman | Boys L7: Jason Raysor
Girls Level 2
A perfect start to a championship season
They are the youngest competitive level in the program. They went undefeated when it mattered most.
The Girls Level 2 team captured the EPYGGL League Championship with a team score of 111.050 and then went one better, winning the PA YMCA State Championship with a score of 112.675. They finished 1st on Vault, 1st on Bars, and 1st on Floor, a dominant team performance that announced the future of the program.
Individual accolades were everywhere. Hayden Klinger swept the State Child B division with All Around, Vault, Bars, and Beam titles. Vanessa Louie added the State Junior B All Around with Bars, Beam, and Floor titles. Zoey Lim won the State Junior A All Around along with Vault and Floor. Olivia Petrella and Emerie Dunham added State titles in the Senior divisions. Twenty combined League and State titles for this group.
League Championship: 1st Place — 111.050
PA YMCA State Championship: 1st Place — 112.675
State Event Titles: 1st Vault | 1st Bars | 1st Floor
State Team Qualifiers: Vanessa Louie, Zoey Lim
Most Improved: Bridget Giuliani
Gold Standard: Vanessa Louie
Xcel Silver
Missed League title by 0.075. Tied for top score at States.
This is a story about how close 0.075 of a point really is and what a team does after they feel it.
The Xcel Silver girls walked off the floor at the EPYGGL League Championships in 2nd place. They had scored 112.575. They had been beaten by 0.075. To put that in perspective, that is one judge's deduction on one skill. One hop on a vault landing. One step on a beam dismount.
A month later at the PA YMCA State Championships they tied for the highest team score of the meet with a 76.425, finishing 2nd on Vault, 2nd on Bars, 2nd on Beam, and tied for 2nd on Floor. Josie Inverso captured the State Senior A All Around with Bars and Beam titles. Emma Mehmeti won the Junior C All Around and Bars. Juliet Fisher won the Junior A Floor title. Seventeen combined League and State titles in all.
League Championship: 2nd Place: 112.575 (0.075 behind 1st)
PA YMCA State Championship: Tied for top score: 76.425
Combined Titles: 17
State Team Qualifiers: Josie Inverso, Laila Amachi
Most Improved: Addison Kane
Gold Standard: Josie Inverso
Girls Level 3
From League runner-up to State Champions in 30 days
They came back with something to prove.
After finishing 2nd at the EPYGGL League Championships with a score of 111.525, just 0.575 behind 1st place , the Girls Level 3 team returned to the floor one month later at the PA YMCA State Championships and won the team title with a score of 112.050. They captured 1st on Vault, 1st on Bars, and 1st on Floor as a team. From runner-up to State Champions in 30 days.
Maelynn Wanaselja was the star of the meet, sweeping the State Child B division with the All Around, Vault, Bars, Beam, and Floor titles. Kimi Lin won the Junior B All Around along with Vault and Floor. Cecilia Schippers swept the Senior A division with All Around, Vault, Bars, and Beam titles. Anna Kuhar added the Senior B All Around with Vault and Floor titles. Twenty-one combined League and State titles.
League Championship: 2nd Place: 111.525
PA YMCA State Championship: 1st Place: 112.050
State Event Titles: 1st Vault | 1st Bars | 1st Floor
State Team Qualifiers: Maelynn Wanaselja, Kimi Lin, Cece Schippers, Anna Kuhar
Most Improved: Maelynn Wanaselja
Gold Standard: Anna Kuhar
Girls Level 4
Deep individual titles and the future of the program
The Girls Level 4 team finished 3rd at the League Championships and 4th at the PA YMCA State Championships, but the real story of this group is in the individual title count. Fifteen combined League and State titles across multiple age divisions. Avielle Salomon won the State Child All Around with Bars and Beam titles. Arya Chantry tied for the Junior A All Around with Vault and Floor titles. Ava Bae captured the Junior A Beam title.
At Leagues the title board was even deeper, Avielle Salomon won All Around and Bars in Junior A, Reagan Graham took Beam, Corinne Lermitte won the Junior B All Around, Arya Chantry won Bars, Ava Bae won Beam, Sara Pando tied for Vault, and Hannah Connelly won Floor. This is what the future of the program looks like.
League Championship: 3rd Place: 105.625
PA YMCA State Championship: 4th Place: 106.800
Combined Titles: 15
Standout Performer: Avielle Salomon: State Child AA Champion
Most Improved: Corinne Lermitte | Gold Standard: Avielle Salomon
Xcel Gold
League Champions. State Champions. Regional qualifiers.
If there was a textbook championship season this year, this was it.
The Xcel Gold girls won the EPYGGL League Championship with a team score of 111.800 and the PA YMCA State Championship with a score of 75.400. The State team captured the Vault title and the Bars title. Twenty combined League and State titles, the largest State title count of any group in the YMCA track.
Harper Henry led the team, sweeping the Junior B division with All Around, Vault, Beam, and Floor titles. Francesca Fontenot added Vault and Bars titles in Junior C and represented the program at Region 7 Xcel Regionals. Annabelle Fisher won the Senior B Bars title with a 9.750 and also qualified for Region 7. Ava Curnell captured the Senior C All Around. Lillian Pellegrino added Beam and Floor titles, and Abby Rosenbaum and Emily Sanders added Floor and Bars wins respectively.
League Championship: 1st Place: 111.800
PA YMCA State Championship: 1st Place: 75.400
State Event Titles: 1st Vault | 1st Bars
Combined Titles: 20 (most among all YMCA Track groups)
State Team Qualifiers: Annabelle Fisher, Ava Curnell, Francesca Fontenot, Harper Henry
Most Improved: Harper Henry
Gold Standard: Francesca Fontenot
Girls Level 5
Opened the season with a team title. Grew all year long.
The Girls Level 5 team took a different competitive path from the rest of the program, a USA Gymnastics-only schedule that took them across the region all season long. They opened the year with a 1st Place Team finish at the 2025 WCU Fall Fling, a powerful start that set the tone.
Kaylee Heizman was the engine of the team, winning the WCU Fall Fling All Around along with Vault, Bars, and Beam titles. She tied for the Beam title at the Janet Rothenberg Memorial, finished 3rd All Around at the Pink Invitational, and closed the season with a 3rd place All Around finish at PA States. Grace von Zubem added serious event power with Floor and Vault titles during the season and a 4th place Floor finish at States. The team showed steady growth all season, jumping from 101.850 at Liberty Cup to 106.125 at the Pink Invitational.
Season Opener: 1st Place Team: 2025 WCU Fall Fling
Pink Invitational: 7th Place Team: 106.125
PA States: Kaylee Heizman 3rd All Around
Total Titles: 8 event and All Around titles
Most Improved: Harper Kelly
Gold Standard: Kaylee Heizman
Xcel Platinum
Tough. Resilient. Steady under pressure.
The Xcel Platinum girls finished 3rd at both the EPYGGL League Championships and the PA YMCA State Championships, a podium team at both major meets. At States the team captured 2nd place finishes on Bars and Floor. Marissa Woodling led the team at Leagues with the Senior A Vault title. Avery Godburn added a Floor title. At States, Samantha Waterfall captured the Junior B Beam title and Addison Matlack won the Senior A Floor title.
At the Pink Invitational, Samantha Waterfall captured the Floor title and Addison Matlack finished 2nd All Around with a 2nd place Beam finish. Jessica Coursey added a 2nd on Floor. They did not waver. They did not back down. They got on the podium at every major meet.
League Championship: 3rd Place: 107.275
PA YMCA State Championship: 3rd Place: 72.750
State Event Highlights: 2nd Bars | 2nd Floor
Most Improved: Brenna Miller
Gold Standard: Addison Matlack
Girls Level 7
A team that found another gear when the moment was at its largest
The Girls Level 7 team finished 3rd at the EPYGGL League Championships with a team score of 105.375 — and then moved up to 2nd place at the PA YMCA State Championships, capturing the State team title on Bars in the process. Makenzie Rohrback led the way at States with the Junior All Around title and the Junior Bars title. Abigail Hromisin added the Senior Bars title. At the Pink Invitational, Angelina Raysor finished 3rd on Vault, Kenzie Rohrback finished 3rd on Floor, and Bre Smith captured 2nd on Beam. Aubrey Smith qualified for Region 7 Championships and finished 5th on Bars in the Senior 7 division.
League Championship: 3rd Place: 105.375
PA YMCA State Championship: 2nd Place: 72.325
State Event Champions: 1st Bars (team)
State Team Qualifier: Kenzie Rohrback
Most Improved: Makenzie Rohrback
Gold Standard: Aubrey Smith
Girls Level 8 + Xcel Diamond
State Floor team champions. Regional qualifiers. National Championship roots.
This group carries a special weight. The Level 8 girls are the defending 2025 YMCA National Champions and they wore that responsibility throughout the entire 2025–2026 season.
On the YMCA track the Level 8 team finished 2nd at both the EPYGGL League Championships and the PA YMCA State Championships. At States they captured the team Floor title, 1st on Floor, 2nd on Bars, and 2nd on Beam. Toni Dallas swept the Senior division with State titles in All Around, Bars, and Floor. Katelyn Lyons captured the State Senior Beam title. On the USAG track this group finished 3rd at both the Christmas City Classic and the Pink Invitational. Hannah Winters won the Pink Invitational Bars and Vault titles. Leah Skrocki captured the Pink Beam title. Peyton Achilles won the Christmas City Floor title. Cersei Pfeffer and Addison Bae both qualified to USA Gymnastics Region 7 Championships.
The Xcel Diamond girls finished 3rd at both Leagues and States. Adriyah "Ace" Clark captured 2nd on Floor, 3rd on Beam, and 3rd on Vault at the Pink Invitational. Eva Buchakjian added 2nd on Vault at States and 3rd on Vault at Pink. Gianna Loss finished 5th All Around in the State Senior division.
Level 8 League / States: 2nd Place / 2nd Place
Level 8 State Floor: Team Champions
Xcel Diamond Champ Meets: 3rd / 3rd: podium at both
Regional Qualifiers: Cersei Pfeffer, Addison Bae
Most Improved Level 8: Emily Sanoy | Diamond: Adriyah Clark
Gold Standard Level 8: Cersei Pfeffer | Xcel Diamond: Adriyah Clark
Girls Level 9/10
Two consecutive major invitational podiums. History made.
They closed the Red Carpet. They earned that spot.
The Level 9 Twisters put together one of the strongest high-performance seasons in program history, finishing 3rd as a team at both the Metroplex Challenge and the Pink Invitational. Two consecutive major invitational podiums against the very best USA Gymnastics competition in the nation.
The individual storylines were everywhere. Roxy Spector won the Pink Invitational Floor and Beam titles, finished 2nd on Vault, and 3rd in the All Around. She added Floor and Vault titles at the 52nd Parkettes Invitational with a 2nd place All Around finish. At USAG PA States she finished 2nd on Floor and qualified for Region 7 Regionals. Mia Walinski matched her at every step, Pink Invitational Floor title, 2nd All Around, 3rd Bars, 3rd Beam at Metroplex, and a 2nd place Floor finish at Region 7 Regionals. Olivia Lee finished 3rd All Around at Metroplex and 2nd All Around at the 52nd Parkettes Invitational. Averi Brady won the Vault title at Christmas City Classic. Lucy Muller added a 2nd on Floor at Metroplex.
And then there was Sydney Jones. The first Level 10 athlete to ever represent the Willow Grove Twisters in competition. She made history every time she stepped on the floor, capturing the Beam title at the 52nd Parkettes Invitational and competing at the USAG Level 10 National Championships in Oklahoma City. A program first. A program forever moment.
Sydney Jones — the first Level 10 athlete to ever represent the Willow Grove Twisters in competition.
Major Invitational Podiums: Metroplex 3rd | Pink 3rd
Region 7 Regionals: Mia Walinski 2nd Floor
Level 10 Nationals: Sydney Jones (Program First)
Most Improved: Averi Brady
Gold Standard: Level 9: Olivia Lee | Level 10: Sydney Jones
Coach of the Year
Jen Evans
Coach Jen has been a pillar of the Twisters coaching staff for years, a coach who shows up early, stays late, and pours everything she has into the athletes she works with. From the youngest gymnasts learning their first cartwheels to the upper-level athletes chasing State titles, Jen meets every athlete exactly where they are. She is firm when she needs to be, soft when it matters most, and consistent in a way that builds true confidence in every gymnast she coaches.
This award was a surprise, voted on by her peers and presented live by the Twisters senior class. The look on her face when the gold envelope was opened said it all. She earned this.
Coach Jen Evans is surrounded by an incredible staff that makes the Willow Grove Twisters program what it is. The program would like to recognize and thank the entire 2025–2026 coaching staff:
Ed Achilles, Kiera Bruton, Bri Dugan, Tyrone Elam, Jen Evans, Sharon Grosch, Na Hoffmann, Iva Ivanova, Reaona Jones-Edwards, Danielle Juritsch, Katie Kreimeyer, Steve Lyles, Jess Messerschmidt, Erin Pfeffer, Katlynn Razler, Julianne Rudgunas, Danielle Smith, Casey Steiner, Chava Trachtman, Kelly Wingen, and Russell Yowell.
Thank you for your dedication, your passion, and your commitment to every athlete in this program. This season belongs to all of you.
Twisters Legacy Award
Darlene Malone
Darlene is the Greater Philadelphia YMCA Association Gymnastics Director, but to the Willow Grove Twisters family she is something more. She is a mentor, a leader, and the connective thread that has held this program together for years. She built the foundation that the current generation of Twisters stands on. She has watched athletes grow from preschool gymnastics all the way to Level 10. She has guided coaches into leadership roles. She has fought for this program at every level.
The Legacy Award was created this year specifically to honor what she has built. It was presented as a complete surprise by former Twisters athlete turned coach Kelly Wingen and longtime team parent Melissa Winters. There was not a dry eye in the room.
Comeback Gymnast of the Year
Marissa Woodling
Comebacks in gymnastics are rarely linear. They are messy, frustrating, full of setbacks, and small victories that only the athlete and her coaches can see. Marissa lived all of it this season. She came back to competition with a maturity and a resilience that defined what this award is about. She won the Xcel Platinum Vault title at the EPYGGL League Championships and represented the program proudly at every meet she competed in. This award is not about where you finished. It is about what it took to get back to the floor.
Twister of the Year
Optionals: Mia Walinski
Mia's Level 9 season included the Pink Invitational Floor title, a 2nd place Floor finish at Region 7 Regionals, and consistent leadership for the program's highest-performing competitive group.
Xcel: Addison Matlack
Addison won the Xcel Platinum Senior A State Floor title and finished 2nd All Around at the Pink Invitational. A leader on a podium team that never wavered.
Compulsory: Vanessa Louie
Vanessa anchored the Level 2 State Championship team with her Junior B All Around title and event sweeps on Bars, Beam, and Floor. A future Twisters leader.
Boys: Hosea Wenger
Hosea swept All Around and event titles at the Liberty Cup, Brian Babcock, KMC, and PA Men's States in Level 3 Division 2. The standard bearer of the Boys program.
YMCA Coaches' Award
The YMCA Coaches' Award is voted on by the coaching staff and given to the gymnast in each division who exemplifies coachability, attitude, and selflessness, the athletes who make the entire team better.
Compulsory: Lily Reeves
Optionals: Toni Dallas
Toni won the State Senior All Around, Bars, and Floor titles in Level 8 and was named to the PA YMCA State Team.
Xcel: Sarene Julin
Boys: Oliver Li
Y Character Award
The Y Character Award recognizes gymnasts who embody the four core values of the YMCA, caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility, both in the gym and in their daily lives.
Optionals: Mae Hyam
Compulsory: Arya Chantry
Xcel: Marissa Woodling
Boys: Adrian Colan
The Class of 2026 — A Farewell to Our Seniors
Eleven gymnasts. Dozens of years of service. One unforgettable send-off.
The banquet paused to honor the eleven members of the Willow Grove Twisters Class of 2026, each introduced individually with a slideshow, surrounded by their families, and celebrated by an entire room that knew exactly what they were watching. A chapter closing in real time.
Together this class represented over 90 combined years of Twisters gymnastics. Gianna Loss. Abby Rosenbaum. Tori Bell. Julia Johnson. Peyton McQuade. Toni Dallas. Hannah Winters. Eva Buchakjian. Emily Sanoy. Marissa Woodling. Remi Sasson.
They came in as young athletes learning the basics of the sport. They leave as champions, teammates, and role models, each one a permanent part of the Willow Grove Twisters story.
To the Class of 2026, thank you for everything you have given this program. This team will always be yours.