The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida was jumping last month.
That’s because the home of Mickey Mouse was also home to the U.S. National Jump Rope Championships. For four days, from June 27-July 1, jumping roping teams from around the country squared off with one another.
There were just under a dozen events participants competed in, some speed-based (i.e. “three minute speed” and “single rope speed relay”) and others style-based (i.e. “single rope freestyle” and “double dutch pairs freestyle).
The Juneau Jumpers joined the fray of young and old jumpers with eight of their own. Only two of which, 13-year-olds Sophia Stage-Harvey and Kiah Dihle, made it to the final day of competition, dubbed the grand national stage.
According to the Juneau Jumpers coach, Lesley Kalbrener, the two competed in almost every event. The saved their best though as a pair in the single rope pairs freestyle. After placing first out of nearly 40 total teams in their age division, the two advanced with 12 other paired-rope-freestylers to the grand national stage.
“They had a very strong freestyle with very difficult tricks, but they also had some creative elements that in my, gosh, 24 years in the sport — I’ve never seen some of the things they do in their routine,” Kalbrener said. “These judges are watching hundreds of freestyles a day and it’s that ‘wow’ factor that helped them get beyond the age division competition and in to the grand nationals.”
Stage-Harvey and Dihle proved they belonged with the other best jumpers too, finished third behind the HT High Flyers (Ligonier, Pennsylvannia) and Coronado Speed Spinners (San Diego, California).
According to Kalbrener — though not unheard of — it’s rare for Juneau Jumpers to make it out of the age division competition, which take up the first three days of the competition.
In order for Stage-Harvey and Dihle, said Kalbrener, they needed to be both skillful and synchronous.
“Pairs freestyle is where you have two kids doing a synchronized routine and they only get judged for things that they do at the same time, together,” Kalbrener said. “If one makes a mistake, then they don’t get judged on those skills. It’s a difficult event.”
There were other standouts on the team, too, including 9-year-old’s Milina Mazon and Braith Dihle.
Mazon was first in her age division for single rope double. Mazon skipped the rope 138 total time (69 jumps) in just 30 seconds.
Dihle was first in the single rope speed competition with 266 jumps in a one minute interval.
“After our end-of the season show, our big final show (in May), that’s when we start our very focused nationals practices and we ask a lot of the kids,” Kalbrener said. “Two and a half hours of intense jump rope practice (three times a week) is a lot especially for our little 9 and 10 year olds, and they all rose to the occasion.”
Results (with scores in parentheses)
30-second double unders:
9-year-old division
1st – Milina Mazon (69)
3rd – Braith Dihle (66)
30-second speed:
9-year-old division
2nd – Milina Mazon (123)
14-year-old division
9th – Katrina Taton (150)
15-year-old division
7th – Asianna Mazon (168)
1 minute speed:
9-year-old division
1st – Braith Dihle (266)
2nd – Milina Mazon (250)
11-year-old division
10th – Adella Dihle (120)
15-year-old division
9th – Asianna Mazon (304)
3 minute speed:
9-year-old division
1st – Braith Dihle (698)
Double dutch speed relay:
13- to 14-year-old division
10th – Katrina Taton, Sophia Stage-Harvey, Kiah Dihle
Single freestyle:
9-year-old division
6th – Milina Mazon
11-year-old division
7th – Adella Dihle
13-year-old division
4th – Kiah Dihle
6th – Sophia Stage-Harvey
Pairs freestyle:
13- to 14-year-old division
1st – Sophia Stage-Harvey, Kiah Dihle
Double dutch single freestyle:
13- to 14-year-old division
10th – Katrina Taton, Sophia Stage-Harvey, Kiah Dihle
Grand Nationals:
Pairs freestyle, female all-ages
3rd – Sophia Stage-Harvey, Kiah Dihle
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
Kiah Dihle, left, and Sophia Stage-Harvey, right, pose with their coach Lesley Kalbrener and their Grand National plaques. (Photo courtesy of Lesley Kalbrener)
