Gymcats to host tourney

      Gymnasts from across the country will be coming to Las Vegas to compete in the Tiger Paw Invitational at UNLV this Friday and Saturday.
      The competition will feature about 350 gymnasts, ranging from beginner- to elite-level competitors, from 30 gyms in 18 different states. Henderson gym Gymcats is serving as host of the tournament.
      "It's probably up there as one of the biggest," said Cassandra Rice, Gymcats owner and director. "There's a few real huge competitions across the U.S. Most states can't draw this number, especially since we're hosting it on Super Bowl weekend."
      The event, now in its third year, had about 200 competitors its first year, but has slowly increased in size every year. This year, many top teams, such as Brown's Central Gymnastics in Altamonte Springs, Fla. and the Colorado Aerials from Colorado Springs, Colo., are participating in the tournament.
      The Aerials will be competing in the Tiger Paw for the first time. Aerials director Tom Forster said the meet will allow his squad to compare itself against other teams.
      "We wanted to see how we stack up," he said. "I think it's going to be one of the better meets."
      Forster said his team was invited to 18 meets this year, but -- including the Tiger Paw Invitational -- will only compete in two.
      Brown's competed in the event last year and gym director Mike McCabe said the caliber of the competition is a prime reason for making the 2,500-mile trip to Las Vegas.
      "I expect the quality to be competent," he said. "We hate to go into a meet and have there be no competition. I'm not saying we're that good, but sometimes you go to a meet and no one's there."
      That will not be the case at the Tiger Paw. Among the 30 competing gyms will be three local teams: Gymcats, Sports Club of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Flyers.
      The two-day competition, featuring gymnasts ranging in age from 7 to 18, will be held at UNLV's South Gym. Friday's events will feature gymnasts from levels four through eight competing.
      Level four is the simplest level of competitive gymnastics, where all competitors do the same routines. At level seven, the gymnasts begin doing optional routines.
      Friday's events are broken up into three sessions. The first session, which includes competitors from levels four and five, will begin at 9:45 a.m. Session two, which involves gymnasts at levels five and six, will begin at 2:10 p.m., while the third session, featuring gymnasts from levels seven and eight, starts at 6:50 p.m.
      In Saturday's competition, things start heating up as the top-level competitors take to the mats. Level-eight gymnasts start their meet at 9:55 a.m., while competitors at level nine follow at 2:20 p.m. At 6:45 p.m., elite-level gymnasts begin their competition.
      "That's going to be the one to see," Rice said. "We have some real good gyms coming to it with their top-level competitors."
      Gymcats, with about 450 students, is one of only two Nevada gyms to house an elite-level gymnast. At the Tiger Paw Invitational, Gymcats' Tasha Schwikert, 13, will be the lone Silver State representative in the elite-level competition.
      With some gyms, such as Brown's, competing in numerous meets every year, many gym directors look for other factors, besides level of competition, to justify making such as trip. McCabe said the allure of Las Vegas definitely played a part in choosing to compete in the Tiger Paw Invitational.
      "We like to make it a good experience and an educational experience," he said. "A lot of these families, this is their annual vacation."
      Admission to each day of the tournament is $5. For more information about the meet, call Rice at 566-1414.