The Vernon Gymnastics team (North Valley Gymnastics Society) tasted success in their recent competitions throughout B.C.
The most recent event was last weekend’s B.C. Gymnastics Championships in Port Coquitlam featuring more than 1,000 artistic gymnasts and trampoline and tumbling athletes.
Emma Eggert and Amy Sol were in level 6 in the 15+ age category. Eggert had her best-ever provincial placing at eighth all-around and a sixth place on uneven bars. Sol was ninth all-around, fifth on floor and sixth on vault.
Said head coach Naomi Rokus: “Both Amy and Emma have made excellent progress this year. They have become very consistent athletes which allows them to be more confident in their skills. I am very impressed and proud of their results.”
Charli Calvert, Julia Kalin and Autumn Doucette competed in level 7. Calvert was in one of the biggest categories with all other athletes born in 2005. Calvert had a strong stuck beam routine and consistent bars and vault. A stumble on floor left her out of the top-10.
Kalin and Doucette entered in the 15+ age category in level 7. Both started with stellar floor routines. Doucette came away with a gold medal for her elegant floor routine and was seventh all-around, fourth on uneven bars and ninth on beam. Kalin competed for the first time at the B.C.’s in level 7 and finished fourth on vault and eighth on floor.
“The level 7 athletes had some ups and downs, but were positive throughout the competition,” said Rokus. “It’s pretty awesome that Autumn was able to repeat her gold medal on floor from last year. She has one of the prettiest floor routines in the province. I’m very proud of the whole team.”
The Vernon team also enjoyed success at the Twister’s Invitational late last month in Abbotsford and the Kamloops Invitational earlier.
Highlights from Twister’s Invitational were from Annabelle Skelly, Alexis Sibilleau, and Doucette. Skelly (aged nine) competed on her own in level 3 andf earned bronze medals on vault and floor. Sibilleau, also nine, won a bronze for her uneven bar routine in level 4. Doucette had a strong showing in level 7 earning a silver in the all around and on floor.
Other notable performances from Twister’s were Emma Locke fourth for her level 4 floor routine and vault, Eggert 9th in the level 6 all-around, Kalin fourth for her level 7 uneven bar routine and Calvert eighth on beam in the level 7 category.
Highlights from Kamloops had Eggert in the level 6 aged 15+ category, where she snagged a silver in the all-around, gold on beam, silver on bars, bronze on floor and fourth in vault.
Isa-Bella Gleter struck silver for her beam routine in level 6 in the 2005 category, while Skelly pocketed a silver in level 3 on floor and a bronze on bars. Locke won gold for her level 4 vault.
In level 7, Doucette garnered gold on floor and vault, Brooklyn Ashby collected a silver on floor and a bronze on beam, and Kalin bagged a bronze on floor.
“Our team has been growing over the last three, four years and it is very exciting to have the younger athletes doing so well,” said Rokus. “Then we have the older athletes who are such excellent examples for the younger and they also continue to improve and push themselves. We have a great group of athletes and very positive support system at our gym.”
The Vernon athletes have a break before heading to Richmond to compete at the Olympic Oval in the Delta Invitational, May 5-7.