Coach’s Cup supports growing gymnastics community

Close to 60 runners signed up for the first Excel Coach’s Cup on Saturday to raise money for the gymnastic program’s travel team.

The 5-kilometer race, organized by volunteer public releations representative Judi Kopsack, is one of several other fundraising events put on by the Excel Gymnastics booster club. The course began at the Excel location and went up the Palmer-Wasilla Highway toward Palmer, before turning around and coming back to the gym.

This year, they earned around $1,000 to put towards the athlete travel fund, and Kopsack is already thinking about next summer’s race.

“The goal is for it to grow to be a couple hundred runners,” she said.

The booster club hopes to move the location to a cross-country style venue in 2019.

“I want to do stuff like run in dinosaur suits. That’s my two cents,” said Excel coach Robert Davila on what he hopes to improve at next year’s event.

Josh Taylor ran the fastest overall men’s time at the Cup on Saturday, coming in first place with a time of 17:59. Morgan Ekcmo then led the women with a time of 18:51. For the kids 10 and under category, Kaitlyn Woyce won at 29:24, and Gabe Black won the boy’s event with 24:03. Meika Lee and her twin brother London Lee both won the 11 to 14 age group, with Meika coming in at 24:53, and London running in 22:31. Jenni Klebesadel took home first place for the 15-18 age group with 24:52 and Taylor, who was entered into that age group as well, also earned first. Those who had top finishes in the adult races won printed trucker hats, while the kid’s age group winners were given cookie medals.

Coach’s Cup runner, Stephanie Hale, used the event to run her first 5k.

“I’m excited, I’m doing it with my sister today and she’s always been super physically fit, so it’s cool to do that with her,” she said.

Hale has been on a weight loss journey since April of 2017, and has since lost 106 pounds by implementing a healthy diet and two-hour-a day exercise regimen.

Davila implemented the parent-run booster club about a year ago, and has enjoyed seeing the source of his athlete’s talent.

“Watching the parents that get involved, it’s a reflection of what their kids are,” he said.

Gymnastics is an expensive sport, according to booster treasurer, Kim Allen, so the booster club does various things to raise money to help with costs.

The last fundraiser, a flipathon that was help in April, earned them roughly $6000.

“The girls get donations, like 10 cents per flip,” Allen said. The gym also plans to sell Christmas wreaths by catalog order this fall, which would be delivered before Thanksgiving.

Another enterprise is their Excel brand coffee, which is packaged in and shipped from Kodiak. The gym sells several different roasts in both whole bean and ground bean. Those interested in purchasing coffee from Excel can email excelteambooster@hotmail.com for more information.