Morning Star Staff
Vernon’s team dominated the Western Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Burnaby last weekend.
Athletes competed in Levels 3 to 6 hoping to qualify for nationals (top-10) in Novice, Junior and Senior national categories.
Vernon won 20 medals and registered 39 top-8 placings in addition to having two overall champions.
Kelsey Anderson, who started the season with an unfortunate collarbone injury (from snow shovelling), came back and won the Senior Title by a landslide with consistent and engaged routines.
Anastasia Martens, perhaps following in her mother and coach Camille’s footsteps, came through an undefeated season and headed in as the favourite being B.C. Provincial Champion.
Her musicality and athleticism shone through and she was crowned the level 5 overall champion, winning the ball routine.
Isabella Haldane shone brightly in the intensely competitive national novice category and pocketed three medals (free, ball and overall) and is on her way to nationals.
Halle Moger, last year’s level 3 champion, was sixth overall to also earn a spot at the nationals.
Novice Rema Buschow-Pander of Saskatchewan, who recently relocated to Vernon to train with the team, also advances to nationals.
In National Junior, Emmalee Holland, in her first year as a National stream athlete, burst onto the scene claiming multiple top-8 results and earning the coveted junior berth at Nationals.
The national championships will take place at the Richmond Olympic Oval at the end of May.
Meagan Lightfoot took the Level 5 clubs crown, while Abby Wessels won ribbon in the same division. Leah Defeo took the ball title in Level 6.
Camille Martens, owner of Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, was Canada’s most medaled athlete at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria with five medals.
A shining star on the Grand Prix circuit, Camille was Canada’s only rhythmic representative at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, where she finished 33rd overall.
She is an NCCP level 3 certified coach and a National level judge.
