Maple Ridge’s Destiny Christensen made the provincial trampoline team, as Wayland Trampoline took 19 athletes to compete at the TAG Cup for trampoline and tumbling over the weekend in Port Coquitlam.
The event was the final chance for her to qualify for Team B.C. and compete in the Western Canada Cup in June, and that was a goal Christensen had set a goal for herself from the beginning of the season. This meant she would have to place in the top three out of all athletes in B.C. in either double-mini, trampoline, or the tumbling event.
Over the weekend, Christensen “performed phenomenally” on the double-mini, scoring the highest she has all year, said Monika Gulyas, who coaches the team with Chelsey Herman.
This result secured Christensen a spot on the provincial squad.
“She’s got really clean form. She stands out,” said Gulyas.
Christensen is the first athlete from the five-year-old gymnastics club to make Team B.C., and the coach said that was “a pretty big deal for us.”
The coach said Christensen is also one of the most motivated athletes she has ever come across.
“As her coaches, we are extremely proud of her accomplishment,” said Gulyas. “She never left the gym without giving her all each practice. It really was her hard work, determination and commitment to the sport that made this possible.”
Aside from this accomplishment, the rest of the team all had exceptional performances, bringing home 21 medals in total.
Wayland received nine gold medals, earned by:
• Christensen in level 3, 15 and over trampoline;
• Danielle Swanson level 3, 15+ double mini and level 2 tumbling;
• Sahara Backeland level 2, 14+ double-mini;
• Sienna Kuznak level 1, 12 and under double mini;
• Kaylan Wicki level 1, 10 and under trampoline and double mini;
• Chelsea Groves level 2, 13 under trampoline;
• Alexis Piso level 1, 13+ trampoline.
The club also won six silver medals:
• Teagan Kuznak level 3, 14 under double-mini and level 3 tumbling;
• Groves level 2, 13 under double-mini and level 1 tumbling;
• Swanson level 3, 15+ trampoline;
• Jayden Wicki level 1, 12 under trampoline.
And there were six bronze medallists:
• Madyson Dunster in level 3 tumbling;
• Sienna Kuznak in level 1, 12 under trampoline;
• Teagan Gratton level 3, 15+ trampoline;
• Kaley McIsaac level 1, 12 under double-mini;
• Piso level 1, 13+ double-mini;
• Isabella Moys level 2, 13 under double-mini.
The next competition will be the Western Canada Cup in Port Moody in June.
