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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; At first glance the 109th Field Artillery Armory was a very chaotic place Saturday as gymnasts were vaulting, jumping and running around.</p><p>But, according to Dave D&#8217;Arco of Shooting Starz Gymnastics, everything was running as planned as close to 400 gymnasts competed in the third annual Warrior Invitational.</p><p>&#8220;Unlike the Olympics, all four events are going on at once,&#8221; D&#8217;Arco said, referring to the vault, beam, floor and uneven bars competition.</p><p>Seventeen teams were at the meet, which continues 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.</p><p>A percentage of the proceeds from the entrance fees, warrior pin sales, raffle baskets and donation buckets go toward helping area veterans.</p><p>The 2016 beneficiaries are Alex Schmidt, a solider from Mount Carmel whose family had a house fire in September, and the veterans homeless shelter run by Catholic Social Services in Kingston. Twenty-three veterans are housed at the shelter.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a way for us to give back to the community,&#8221; D&#8217;Arco said, noting they were expecting over 1,000 people at the two-day event.</p><p>The meet, D&#8217;Arco said, aligns with the Veterans Day weekend. As a special tribute to veterans, the gymnasts conduct a &#8220;Warrior Walk-In&#8221; during the beginning of each session. Every gymnast enters the venue with a veteran and stands on the floor with them while the national anthem is played.</p><p>Major Cliff Morales, former officer-in-charge of the armory, got D&#8217;Arco and his wife, Joelle, involved with the facility when the D&#8217;Arcos decided to host a meet.</p><p>&#8220;The name came with the weekend,&#8221; Morales, whose daughter, Haily, competes for Shooting Starz, said. &#8220;Everything fits like a glove.&#8221;</p><p>The music was cheery but repetitive, but again D&#8217;Arco had a reason for that.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll hear it over and over again, maybe 85 times today,&#8221; he said, explaining the music is the same for each floor routine. &#8220;It&#8217;s only for the floor.&#8221;</p><p>Haily, 10, is looking forward to doing her minute-long routine to Elvis Presley&#8217;s &#8220;Blue Suede Shows/Heartbreak Hotel&#8221; Sunday. She has been with the Starz for seven years.</p><p>She&#8217;s able to get rid of her energy, and she enjoys hanging out with her friends during practice.</p><p>Katelynn Singmaster, 7, of northeast Philadelphia, won five medals &#8212; four silver and one gold &#8212; during her morning routines. A level one gymnast for Bensalem, Singmaster enjoys the bars and doing cartwheels.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s fun,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Nicole Williams, brought her mother, Joan Williams, on the two-hour drive from Lamar to see her daughter, Aubrey Schreppel, 8, compete.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re still learning the system,&#8221; Nicole said about Aubrey&#8217;s year-long stint in gymnastics.</p><p>Aubrey said she was inspired to learn the sport after watching Gabby Douglas compete in the Olympics.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Members of the Shooting Starz Gymnastics team are introduced during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Members of the Shooting Starz Gymnastics team are introduced during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of the Shooting Starz Gymnastics team stand for the national anthem during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Members of the Shooting Starz Gymnastics team stand for the national anthem during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Katherine Wesztergom, 13, left, and Caitlyn Harrington, 11, of the Spirit Gymnastics team from North Wales, Montgomery County, warm up on the balance beam during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Katherine Wesztergom, 13, left, and Caitlyn Harrington, 11, of the Spirit Gymnastics team from North Wales, Montgomery County, warm up on the balance beam during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lilah Barrett, 7, practices her vault with the help of Shooting Starz coach Ashlee Berry during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL111316starz_4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Lilah Barrett, 7, practices her vault with the help of Shooting Starz coach Ashlee Berry during the third annual Warrior Invitational meet at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre on Saturday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p>Admission to the Warrior Invtational, which continues today:</p><p>&#8226; Adults - $10</p><p>&#8226; Military - $8</p><p>&#8226; Children - $5</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Gymnastics event raises funds to aid area veterans