Marion gymnasts Mia Hemphill and Kate Erickson, along with the rest of their Kaleidoscope gymnastics teammates, are  on fire.

Hemphill and Erickson, both level five gymnasts, qualified for the State Championship on their first try over the weekend. Not to be outdone,  every level five and six girl of the Kaleidoscope team qualified for Sectionals (the qualifying meet for the State Championship in March).

The team boasts a roster of hardworking and competitive level five and six gymnasts. Gymnasts rank in levels one through 10, based on skill, after which a gymnast may qualify for “Elite” status. Elite gymnasts are the ones you see doing death-defying feats on television when the Olympics roll around every four years.

Female gymnasts can begin participating in USA Gymnastics sanctioned events at level four. To qualify for states a girl needs to get a 32.0 in the all-around competition. This would be the equivalent of getting an 8.0 (out of a possible score of 10) on each event.

Eight-year-old Hemphill placed second on the floor exercise and fourth in the all-around competition.

“I wasn’t so nervous because I knew I could do it,” she said of qualifying for states.  She said she doesn’t really get nervous, she just does the same thing she does in practice.

Ten-year-old Erickson said she hopes to get a 9.0 on at least one event at the competition. “I’ve had a 9.0 at every competition except sectionals,” she said.

Out of the level six girls, three have qualified for states so far. Fifteen-year-old Hannah Abrantis says that as a level five gymnast last year she placed first on the floor exercise at states.

She’s hoping to medal as a level six as well. “I’m hoping to place on at least one event,” said Hannah. It’s hard because there are a lot of girls there.”

Alyson Stellato, a level six gymnast from Mattapoisett, also qualified for the level six state competition.

Eleven-year-old Laurenne Wilkinson of Marion qualified for sectionals, and has another chance at making it to states as a level six. “I’m kind of nervous because it’s my last chance,” she said. She competed at states last year as a level five, and placed fifth on floor.

Maxine Kellum, 13, placed fifth in the all-around as a level five at states last year. This year, she says, she expects the competition to be tougher but she’s still confident. “Level six girls tend to be older…it’s harder this year.”