Redwood Coast Gymnasts Punch Their Tickets to Regionals

Aubrey Dalton on Bars

Press release from Redwood Coast Gymnastics (RGC):

Members of the Redwood Coast Gymnastics (RGC) team performed strongly at several recent State Championships, qualifying six athletes to various Regional Championships across two consecutive weekends of competition.

The team first competed at the Level 6 State Championships in Visalia on March 21st, followed by Xcel Gold State Championships in Rancho Cordova on March 27-29. In total, seven RCG athletes competed, with six able to advance to the 2026 Regionals, the highest level of competition for gymnasts at these competitive levels. At the Level 6 meet, 12-year-old Momo Baxter surpassed the 34.00 qualifying score with ease, posting an impressive 36.225 in the all-around. Baxter’s highest score came on floor exercise (9.45), but her beam routine, which she confidently stuck, stood out as a highlight of her performance. Her final spring competition will take place April 17-19 in Santa Rosa, CA, where she will face competitors from across California as well as Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.

Myiah Punch

The qualifying score for Xcel Gold competitors to advance to Regionals is a more daunting 36.00. Before this competition, only two of the Redwood Coast gymnasts had reached that mark. At the 2026 Gold State Championships, RCG rose to the occasion. Myiah Punch (13), Addie Bellermann (11), Kaile’a Townsend (15), Hannah Naylor (11), and Maya Dalton (9) all achieved qualifying scores to Regionals, which will take place in Farmington, UT from April 24-26. Myiah Punch led the team with a record-setting performance, earning 37.025 in the all-around, both a personal best and a new RCG team record. She captured the bronze medal in the all-around and placed in every event, highlighted by a bronze medal on beam (9.275) and a 9.5 on uneven bars. RCG athletes landed on the podium across a variety of events and age groups. Addie Bellermann earned the bronze on vault (8.9) on her way to a 4th place finish in the all-around with a personal-best 36.35. Kaile’a Townsend took bronze in floor exercise (9.45) and also hit a personal best on the uneven bars (9.275), finishing with a 36.275 all-around. Hannah Naylor earned a pair of bronze medals on vault (9.0) and beam (9.025), the latter a personal best. Maya Dalton narrowly missed the podium with fourth-place finished on vault (8.85) and beam (8.95), while also achieving a personal-best 9.475 on floor exercise. Teammate Aubrey Dalton showed resilience, working her way back from a tough start on the uneven bars and ending by earning a medal on vault (8.8). Jesse Bestul was unable to compete due to an injury sustained in training before the competition.

Maya Dalton

Coaching staff for the Team were pleased with the results, with Coach Brian Van Pelt stating “I think the girls (and their families) did a great job with the meet, as well as the season. They’ve been training very hard for the last 9 months, going from Fall season directly into the Spring season. It’s been inspiring to watch the girls grapple with the challenges and push their gymnastics into new heights.”

The Redwood Coast Gymnastics team is led by head coach Brian Van Pelt and assistant coach Rina Jernigan, with support from coaches Ava Gardner, Autumn Pires-Moore, and Sara Punch.

Myiah Punch