Twelve athletes from North Valley Gymnastics recently competed in the Cobweb Invitational Competition at the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre in Kelowna, where each athlete finished either on the podium or in the top-eight for their level/age category.
Club members brought home an impressive 18 medals.
Three athletes were competing for the first time in Level 7, which requires much more advanced skills and skill combinations.
In the junior category, Brooklyn Ashby won the vault event with an explosive handspring vault.
“It’s a vault she’s worked very hard on in training,” said competitive coach Naomi Rokus.
Ashby also received a bronze medal for her beautiful lines and swing on the uneven bars.
Aysia Morgan performed her back handspring, back handspring series connected on the balance beam (one of only a few gymnast in her level to do so), and performed well on all other events even though she had a minor injury.
Autumn Doucette competed in the senior category, highlighting her competition with a second place finish on bars and a “stuck” balance beam routine (no falls).
Seven gymnasts competed in Level 6.
Tyra Green, Charli Calvert and Raedon Skanes were all competing for the first time in Level 6 in the child and junior age categories. All three gymnasts had a great competition, showing off skills that they’ve never competed.
Highlights were a fourth place finish for Green on vault, fifth place finish on vault for Calvert, and Shanes earned a silver on vault and a bronze medal on both the balance beam and floor for her unique style.
Emma Doucette, Amy Sol, Julia Kalin and Emma Eggert competed in the senior age category for Level 6.
Doucette surprised herself with an excellent bar routine placing her on top of the podium for that event, and earned two more bronze medals for her powerful floor routine and handspring vault. She also won the bronze medal for her all around score. Amy Sol received a silver medal for her “stuck” balance beam routine.
Eggert and Kalin earned a fourth and sixth place finish respectively for their explosive vaults.
“This was only the second competition ever for these athletes and the improvement in the last six months is awesome,” said Rokus.
Rounding out the competition for North Valley Gymnastics were two Level 4 senior athletes.
Veronika Yacovelli, a seasoned veteran, had an amazing competition earning a pair of gold medals for her clean uneven bar routine and her elegant balance beam routine, a silver medal on floor, and a bronze medal on vault.
She also earned a gold medal for her all around score.
Carys Reed showed excellent promise with silver medals on both the vault and uneven bars.
“The girls were all so prepared – the time and effort that these athletes put in leading up to this competition certainly paid off,” said Rokus.
“I’m so impressed how each gymnast performed considering this was their first competition of the year. Even though gymnastics is considered an individual sport I think one of the reasons they did do well is they are such a great team. The support they show for each other is remarkable. I’m very happy and proud of them.”
Gymnasts will travel to Langley for the Christy Fraser Memorial Invitational Feb. 12–14.
