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The Rising Star Acrobatic Club has sent groups to international competitions before, but none quite matched up to the recent trip to the World Age Group Championships in Wroclaw, Poland. The trio of MacKenzie Porter, Chelcea Riegel and Krissy Weidmaier finished 15th overall in the 12-19 Girls Group competition July 6-12.

“It is such an honor,” Rising Star coach Linda Porter said. “When we went as 11-16 year olds, we got fifth in the world, but the kind of level we were doing was more entry level. When you go to 12-19 you are actually at elite-level competition. There is only one level higher, and that is senior. To get 15th in the world with consideration given to the fact that it is one of the most highly competed in events is great. We had 26 competitors in our division, and those are the best of every country.

“We went as USA 2, and the other trio (USA 1) took sixth. When you look at the fact we were USA 2, we did a phenomenal job. That other trio had been before. This was our first time to ever compete at this level, 12-19.”

MacKenzie Porter said there was nothing better than getting to represent her country.

“I don’t think it really sinks in until you are out on the floor, and they announce your name,” MacKenzie Porter said. “They call your name out and say you are from the United States, and that is when it hits you, you are representing your country and your home town.”

Weidmaier said the trip proved to be a valuable learning experience, as well.

“With a new partner, I just learned more partner cooperation,” Weidmaier said. “All that work you put in is for those two or three minutes you are out there. You have to make it count. Teamwork is a very important thing; you have to work together as a team because it is just three of you out there working as a team.”

Not only did the group have to deal with greater competition, they also had to deal with temperatures that hovered consistently in the 90s.

“We were competing in like 85- to 90-degree weather, and in the training room it was over 100 degrees,” Linda Porter said. “Not only did they have to compete with their nerves, they had to compete with incredible, incredible heat. I said that in the training room it felt like getting into a hot car. The Europeans definitely have an advantage over us because I guess many times they don’t have air conditioning, where we as Americans are pretty spoiled.”

Weidmaier said that the team had enough practice days to try and get used to the conditions.

“It made things interesting,” Weidmaier said. “You had to stay hydrated a lot. The bus ride from our hotel was hot too, because we didn’t have air conditioning in there either. Just working out in it made it worse. Everyone was in the same situation, though. We all did what we could do. It kind of caught me off guard personally, but we were there long enough practicing that I got used to it.”

With a swimming scholarship at Lindenwood University for swimming on tap, this may have been one of MacKenzie Porter’s last competitions.

“Next year, I am going to focus on swimming, and we will see if I can keep competing or not,” MacKenzie Porter said. “It is all kind of up in the air.”

What is not up in the air is what the club needs to do to continue to improve on the international stage.

“We still have some work to do, and I believe the Rising Stars will rise to the occasion,” Linda Porter said. “Next time, we will be representing USA as the No. 1 group. At the senior level, if we can keep athletes training, I think we have developed a program for that level. Every time you go, you learn how much more it is going to take, and what kind of skills are being used to achieve those goals.”

Sports writer Bill Knust can be reached at 389-6605 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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