Members of the Edina-based Jugheads Youth Juggling Co. recently returned from last month's International Jugglers' Association (IJA) Festival in Portland, Ore.

Several local club members competed and brought home medals in various competitions during the event July 17-23.

The IJA Stage Championships are for the presentation of juggling as both a skill and an art. The choice of props and the style of manipulation is unlimited, but the focus of the act must be juggling.

This year, Jugheads had three teams qualify for the Teams Finals. The teams were Guava (Anna Kutkiewicz, Selby Shlosberg), Les Filles (Sofia Meyer, Hanna Stoehr, Sarah Zuhlsdorf), and Swatch (Brett Kissell, Nate Martin, Asher Wallen-Friedman).

Swatch was awarded the silver medal for its club-passing routine. Three times in past years Jugheads routines have placed third in team competitions, making Swatch the first team to place runner-up.

In the Juniors Competition (individuals 18 and younger), Scott Richter and Billy Watson were two of the nine acts that qualified for the finals. A total of 22 acts competed in the preliminaries.

Watson earned third-place honors for his routine choreographed with three to seven balls and three to five clubs. He is the first Jughead to earn a medal in an IJA Junior's Competition.

The purpose of the Numbers Competition is to record who can successfully juggle the greatest number of balls, clubs, rings, and bounced balls.

In this event, Nate Martin and Kelvin Ying defended their 2004-2005 Ball Passing titles and were awarded the gold medal for the third straight year. They passed 12 balls with 83 catches. Notably, during preliminaries Martin and Ying qualified 13-ball passing with 52 catches.

Extreme Juggling involves performing the "most extreme" juggling trick. Stefan Brancel came out on top for his tricks in the Five Clubs category.

Joggling entails juggling while running. The IJA Joggling Championships is a track meet featuring jogglers. Several Jugheads competed in this year's meet and were awarded medals.

Below is a list of the Jughead medalists with their corresponding times for the event. Youth includes ages 13 and younger; Juniors includes ages 14 to 18.

Youth Male 100-Meters 3-Ball

Colin Kulstad and Jonny Langholz tied for second with a time of 20 seconds.

Junior Female 100 Meters 3-Ball

Lauren Rice finished first with a time of 20.7 seconds. Kelsey Harr finished second in 23.18. Amanda Richter was third in 23.72.

Junior Male 100 Meters 3-Ball

Riley Wiklund was second in a time of 14.9 seconds, while Daniel Rose was third in 17.1.

Youth Male 100 Meters 5-Ball

Jonny Langholz finished second in 57.28.

Junior Female 100 Meters 5-Ball

Amanda Ritcher won in 1:14.72 seconds. Lauren Rice was second in 1:14.38.

Youth Male 200 Meters 3-Ball

Colin Kulstad finished third in 46.94.

Junior Female 200 Meters 3-Ball

Amanda Richter won in 47 seconds.

Junior Male 200 Meters 3-Ball

Daniel Rose was runner-up in 36.82. Colin Revere finished third in 40.96.

Youth Male 400 Meters 3-Ball

Colin Kulstad finished second in 1 minute, 59 seconds.

Junior Female 400 Meters 3-Ball

Amanda Richter won in 1:52, while Kelsey Harr was second in 1:53.

Junior Male 400 Meters 3-Ball

Riley Wiklund finished runner-up in 1:20.

Women's Open 400 Meters 3-Ball

Lauren Rice was second in 1:29.

Junior Female 800 Meters 3-Ball

Lauren Rice won in 3 minutes, 8 seconds.

Junior Male 800 Meters 3-Ball

Riley Wiklund finished third in 3:19.18.

Juniors 4 x 100 Relay 3-Ball

The relay of Riley Wiklund, Amanda Richter, Kelsey Harr and Lauren Rice won 1:31. The team of Jonny Langholz, Daniel Rose, Colin Kulstad and Colin Revere finished second in 1:37.

Open 4 x 100 Relay 3-Ball

The relay team that included Kelsey Harr won in 1:14. A team that included Ricky Harr, T. McClintock and Riley Wiklund was second in 1:24.

Women 4 x 400 Relay 3-Ball

A team that included Lauren Rice and Kelsey Harr finished first in 6:11.

Open 4 x 400 Relay 3-Ball

Colin Revere competed on a team that finished second in 8:34.98.

For more information about the IJA festival, go to www.juggle.org.- Compiled by Mike Westholder

Youth Male 100-Meters 3-Ball

Colin Kulstad and Jonny Langholz tied for second with a time of 20 seconds.

Junior Female 100 Meters 3-Ball

Lauren Rice finished first with a time of 20.7 seconds. Kelsey Harr finished second in 23.18. Amanda Richter was third in 23.72.

Junior Male 100 Meters 3-Ball

Riley Wiklund was second in a time of 14.9 seconds, while Daniel Rose was third in 17.1.

Youth Male 100 Meters 5-Ball

Jonny Langholz finished second in 57.28.

Junior Female 100 Meters 5-Ball

Amanda Ritcher won in 1:14.72 seconds. Lauren Rice was second in 1:14.38.

Youth Male 200 Meters 3-Ball

Colin Kulstad finished third in 46.94.

Junior Female 200 Meters 3-Ball

Amanda Richter won in 47 seconds.

Junior Male 200 Meters 3-Ball

Daniel Rose was runner-up in 36.82. Colin Revere finished third in 40.96.

Youth Male 400 Meters 3-Ball

Colin Kulstad finished second in 1 minute, 59 seconds.

Junior Female 400 Meters 3-Ball

Amanda Richter won in 1:52, while Kelsey Harr was second in 1:53.

Junior Male 400 Meters 3-Ball

Riley Wiklund finished runner-up in 1:20.

Women's Open 400 Meters 3-Ball

Lauren Rice was second in 1:29.

Junior Female 800 Meters 3-Ball

Lauren Rice won in 3 minutes, 8 seconds.

Junior Male 800 Meters 3-Ball

Riley Wiklund finished third in 3:19.18.

Juniors 4 x 100 Relay 3-Ball

The relay of Riley Wiklund, Amanda Richter, Kelsey Harr and Lauren Rice won 1:31. The team of Jonny Langholz, Daniel Rose, Colin Kulstad and Colin Revere finished second in 1:37.

Open 4 x 100 Relay 3-Ball

The relay team that included Kelsey Harr won in 1:14. A team that included Ricky Harr, T. McClintock and Riley Wiklund was second in 1:24.

Women 4 x 400 Relay 3-Ball

A team that included Lauren Rice and Kelsey Harr finished first in 6:11.

Open 4 x 400 Relay 3-Ball

Colin Revere competed on a team that finished second in 8:34.98.

For more information about the IJA festival, go to www.juggle.org.- Compiled by Mike Westholder