2024 is not only an Olympic year, but also a World Championship year for the sport of Acrobatic Gymnastics. This summer at the 2024 USA Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships and World Team Trials in Minneapolis (the same week and location of the Artistic Gymnastics Olympic Trials), USA Gymnastics selected two groups from Rockville’s Xtreme Acro to represent Team USA.
The 2024 World Championships take place in Guimaraes, Portugal in September. Roni Azerrad (age 13), Audrey Wang (18), and Isabella Collazo (18) are in a Junior Elite trio partnership and have been competing together since 2021 with the dream of going to Worlds. They are 3-Time US Junior Elite National Team members, 2-Time National Champions and Vegas International Acro Cup Champions in the largest category in the sport of acrobatic gymnastics. They are also 2-Time recipients of their region’s Best Artistry Award and were featured in the USA Gymnastics 2023 Year in Review for winning the first Gold team medal for Team USA at Maia Interational Acro Cup in Portugal. This is the trio’s first time being selected to the World Team.
Roni is an 8th grader at Tilden Middle School, Audrey just graduated from Richard Montgomery High School, and Bella just graduated from Langley High School. Both Audrey and Bella have been competing acrobatic gymnastics since age 9 and Roni since age 7.
Olivia Green (age 16), Rebecca Greenberg (17), and Caylei Caldwell (20) comprise Xtreme Acro’s first Senior Elite trio to be selected for the US National Team and World Championships.
Olivia has previously competed at Worlds twice, winning a Silver medal for Team USA in 2022. After both of their partners suffered season-ending injuries late in the year, Olivia (junior at Einstein High) and Becky (senior at Quince Orchard) formed a new partnership with teammate Caylei Caldwell (freshman at Moberly University), who moved to Maryland from Missouri 3 years ago to pursue her dream of going to Worlds.
With only 3 months until 2024 National Championships and World Team trials, this trio raced against time and defied the odds to not only win a National Silver medal but also be selected for the US National Team and World Team. Both of these trios are coached by Cameron Jones, Program Director and Head Coach for Xtreme Acro, and Juli Gottschalk, Elite Team Coach, Regional Technical Committee Chair and former director and head coach for Xtreme Acro. Roni, Audrey and Isabella are scheduled to compete Sept 12-15. Olivia, Rebecca, and Caylei
are scheduled to compete Sept 19-22.