Ottumwa Courier Week 15

Iron Chef: Ottumwa High School

Jacqueline Victoria, left, and Denise Ramirez, Ottumwa High School students, prepare the main course dish Friday during the Iron Chef competition at Indian Hills Community College. The competition included high school students from area schools and featured three courses. 

An appetizer is prepared by Daylin Latham and Bradley Williams Friday during an Iron Chef competition. The meals prepared by the students are pre-planned and included local fresh foods. 

Local fresh cucumbers are prepared for a salsa. After the food was prepared it was judged by six professionals in the culinary field.  Debb Kent lead the Ottumwa team and has been teaching at the high school for 15 years. “This is a great venue for the kids to stretch themselves,” Kent said. “They all come away with something different and thats a fantastic thing.”

Features/Sports

Witches plot during a performance of Macbeth Thursday at St. John Auditorium at IHCC. Macbeth is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and tells a story of a man who receives a prophecy from witches that he will become the King of Scotland. 

Actors from Indian Hills Community College perform Macbeth Thursday at St. John Auditorium. The three days of performances included a free showing for high school students Friday afternoon.

Gaven Dostal returns the ball Tuesday during the Ottumwa boys tennis match.

Junior player Daylin Latham fights for control of the ball Tuesday during the Ottumwa girls soccers game.

Sophomore pitcher Kendle Schieber pitches the ball Tuesday during the IHCC women’s softball game against North Central Missouri College.

United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association State Meet

A participant in the United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association State Meet did her run during the power tumbling competition Sunday at the Bridge View Center. The competition included participants from ages two through twenty-six competing in 3,000 different events. 

A competitor waits for her next event to begin Sunday during the United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association State Meet. The events including tumbling, double-mini trampoline and trampoline.

Kaitlin Scott sticks her landing while competing in the power tumbling event Sunday at the Bridge View Center. Scott is part of Ottumwas Team Flip, who hosted the meet.

Tumblers wait for their turns Sunday during the USTA State Meet at the Bridge View Center.

    This weekend over a thousand athletes tumbled and bounced their way into the hearts of judges and a large audience during the United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association State Meet at the Bridge View Center.

    The Iowa USTA State Meet was hosted by Team Flip from Ottumwa and Iowa Falls T&T teams and brought 1,259 athletes from across the state to compete this weekend. Saturday and Sunday the athletes, ranging from ages two to twenty-six, competed in over 3,000 events as they fought for a place at the National Meet. This years National Competition will take place June 17th through 21st in Louisville, Kentucky. 

    The United States Trampoline and Tumbling Association was founded in 1971 by Larry Griswold and George Nissen (the founder of the trampoline). It stared with only 200 members that competed in tumbling, trampoline and the double-mini trampoline all of which were in one division. 

    Now the sport has grown exponentially and to accommodate this growth there are 15 divisions; nine for tumbling and six for double-mini and the trampoline. The USTA awards numerous scholarships to graduating seniors or to athletes that are still competing and continuing their education. 

    Ottumwas Team Flip had 20 athletes competing against 32 other teams from across the state. The meet has an event for every age group ad ranges from beginners to experts. 

    “Nobody has to sit out with this organization,” Vicky Wilson, the Iowa Falls T&T team advisor, said. “Everyone gets a chance to show their skills.”

Stormy Weather

An Ottumwa resident observes the damage to his home Sunday after a storm blew through his neighborhood on West Mary Street.

Ottumwa residents cover their roof with tarps Sunday after a storm caused damage to their home on West Mary Street.

Ottumwa residents clean up shingles from their yard that were blown off nearby roofs after a storm blew through the neighborhood on West Mary Street.