Denali Gymnastics level 9 athletes named Region 2 champions

WASILLA — Denali Gymnastics level 9 athletes Nick Adams, Kael Childers, Aidan Hipszer, and Cole Miller took first place in the 2023 Men's Regional Championship for Region 2.

"They came together as a team," Denali Gymnastics men's gymnastics director Ryan Childers said.

Teams from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington participated in the Region 2 Championship held March 31 through April 2.

Denali Gymnastics hosted the competition at the Menard Sports Center. According to Childers, this was the first time the event has been held in Alaska in over two decades.

"I was pleased with the event. It was an honor to be able to do that," Childers said.

Childers said they wanted the setup to be as effective and professional as possible.

"The local community really jumped in to make this event possible. Everybody was there to help," Childers said. "It felt like a championship event."

Childers said this was the first time in his 25 years of coaching that he had the opportunity to witness one of his teams take first place at this level of competition. He said that Adams, Childers, Hipszer, and Miller secured their Region 2 victory by working together.

"They're building each other up. It was on them how they did that," Childers said.

Childers said that his favorite part of coaching has always been watching athletes develop their skills and build up their confidence. He said that consistency is the number one thing he focuses on with his athletes.

"It comes back to life lessons and holding a standard of excellence for themselves," Childers said. "You only lose when you quit… In gymnastics you fall down... There’s always something to fix. There's never a 'good enough.' You can always strive to be better. That stands out as a life skill."

Adams said that his life revolves around gymnastics and he's gained a lot from sticking with it over the years. He said that succeeding in gymnastics is all about dedication and that's ultimately what helped them win the regional championship.

"It feels great to have all your hard work pay off," Adams said. "You gotta keep moving."

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com