PLACES TO GO Around the Neighborhood Pages 2-3
WEST SIDE STORIES Katie Folger
INSIDE Graduation 2025
Page 4
Pages 14-20
County Line celebrates 50th Anniversary
VOLUME 38 ISSUE 6 - SINCE 1986
Lottie receives her year-end ChampionsTX trophy
W E S TA U S T I N N E W S . C O M
GRANDFATHER PICK-UP FOLLOWING A DAY AT SUMMER CAMP Back row- grandfather Louis Bratton and daughter Bonnie Bratton, a ChampionsTX Alumni Front row- granddaughters Evelyn Dellert and Haylie Temple
JUNE 19, 2025
Bart’s grandson James with his ChampionsTX trophy
ChampionsTX Alumni Meredith Reynolds, with her sons Crawford and Barton, current ChampionsTX athletes
ChampionsTX: 30 Years of Building All-Around Champions By Anne DeVries On May 17, 2025, ChampionsTX hosted its annual Extravaganza at the West Austin Youth Association (WAYA), celebrating a year of outstanding achievements and the gym’s 30th anniversary of enriching the lives of Austin’s youth and families. Over 60 athletes took the stage, captivating friends and family with performances set to nostalgic hits in the “Blast from the Past” showcase, honoring the decades-long legacy of ChampionsTX and its founder, Janet Scott. A native of Austin, Scott graduated from Austin High School in 1978 and the University of Texas at Austin in 1982. Her deep roots in the community, with four generations of her family attending both Austin High and the University of Texas, have shaped her commitment to nurturing child development in her hometown. Inspired by her childhood coach, Gil Elsass, and encouraged by friends to bring her vision to WAYA, Scott founded ChampionsTX in 1995. What started as a small venture, operating just two days a week, has grown into a year-round center for gymnastics, parkour,
cheer, and tumbling, serving children from “Baby Waddlers” to 18-year-olds. ChampionsTX’s success at WAYA led to the opening of a second location in Lakeway in 2015. For Scott, ChampionsTX is more than gymnastics—it’s a family. “This gym has always been about building people,” she said during her emotional tribute at the 30th anniversary Extravaganza. Her love for the Austin community shines through in every aspect of the ChampionsTX mission: to create a safe, fun, and nurturing environment where children develop life skills, build relationships, and grow into “AllAround Champions.” Scott is quick to credit her staff as the backbone of ChampionsTX’s success. “My coaches are 100% why we’re successful,” she emphasizes. With a team of 15 full-time and 10 part-time coaches, plus additional substitutes, the gym maintains low student-tocoach ratios to ensure personalized, high-quality instruction. Coaches like Kaylie Berens, named the 2025 Coach of the Year, exemplify the dedication and heart that define ChampionsTX. A level 10 gymnast herself, Kaylie was voted by
CHAMPIONSTX COACHES AND STAFF Back Row- Willy Scott, Coach Markel Bunton, Coach Maddie Gilbert, Mrs. Sharonna Banks, Coach Izabella Estrada, Coach Kaia Brooks, Coach Grace Villatoro, Coach Kahla Archibald, Coach Asher Rigo Front Row- Coach Kristelle Rodriguez, Coach Katherine Nichols, Coach Kaylie Berens, Coach Kaitlyn Herriage, Janet Scott, Coach Chelsea Tubonemi, Coach Proloy Azad, Coach Marissa Gonzales, Coach Maria Leidenthal, Sydney Zych
CHAMPIONSTX STAFF AND CASSIDY FOLLOWING A ‘CARTWHEELS FOR CASSIDY’ FUNDRAISING EVENT Back row- Coach Marissa Gonzales, Coach Maddie Gilbert, Coach Katherine Nichols, Coach Kaia Brooks, and Sharonna Banks Middle row- Coach Maria Leidenthal, Coach Kahla Archibald, Coach Kaylie Berens, Coach Kaitlyn Herriage, Coach Chelsea Tubonemi, and Coach Laura Coyle Front row- Janet Scott and Cassidy
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“DECADE” DANA WILLS (10 YEARS WITH CHAMPIONSTX) AND FAMILY Back row- Dana Wills, daughter-in-law Allie Wills, son Austin Wills, mother Virginia Leech, and sister Kelley McGill Front row- granddaughters Charley and Margot
2025 CCA ATHLETES AND COACHES Back row: Coach Markel Buntonl, Beckett, Olive, Angelina, Livi, Helena, Lucy, Ryann, Kate, and Carmen Front row: Coach Kaylie Berens, Maddie, Taylor, Lillian, Sophie, Lousia, Marley, Celeste, June, and Coach Kaitlyn Herriage
SUMMER CAMP-1 2025 SPIRIT STICK WINNERS Sloane (red skirt), Caroline (white shorts), Morgan, Neely (pink shorts), Maeve (orange shorts), Sha, Piper, Jaiden (boy in grey shorts), Macklin (boy behind), Simon (boy in orange shorts), Coach Chelsea Tubonemi, Spring (girl in black shorts), Sloane (girl in pink shorts), Isabella (girl in tie dye shorts), William (boy in green shorts), Ingrid (girl in blue hat), and Ryan Elizabeth (behind, long hair)
FORMER CHAMPIONSTX COACHES AND SURPRISE GUESTS OF THE EXTRAVAGANZA Dana Wills, Staci (Gregory) Stewart, Janet Scott, Erin (Shelby) Muller, Allison (Ketchum) Perry
CHAMPIONSTX STAFF AND WILLY SCOTT AT THE CHAMPIONSTX TRAIL OF LIGHTS PERFORMANCE Marissa Gonzales, Kaylie Berens, Kahla Archibald, Kaitlyn Herriage, Willy Scott, Grace Villatoro, and Kaia Brooks
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