Quesnel Technics Gymnastics Club members continue to prove their hard training in the makeshift gym at the former L’École Baker school is paying off big dividends.
The young gymnasts put their well-honed skills to the test at two separate provincial meets over the last few weeks and came home with plenty of personal bests, as well as some special hardware to boot.
As this is the 50th anniversary of Gymnastics B.C., those who placed in the top three were rewarded with some large commemorative medals, which will be treasured for quite some time.
The lower-level competitors, from Junior Olympic (JO) levels one to five, attended the 2019 B.C. Compulsory Championships in Langley on April 5-7.
Contestants had to complete routines that were agreed upon beforehand.
RESULTS:
JO1
Avery Strang captured a silver medal on Vault and finished fourth on Beam, fifth on Bars and All Around and seventh on Floor.
Ava Peterson was sixth on Beam, Floor and All Around as well as 7th on Vault and 9th on Bars.
JO 3
Tahlia Denis was fifth on Beam, seventh on Floor, ninth Vault and All Around and 15th on Bars.
Paige Grant was 11th on Beam, 12th All Around, and 14th on Vault, Bars and Floor.
Justine Biller was 11th on Bars, 12th on Floor, 13th on Vault, 14th All Around and 16th on Beam.
JO 4
Mackenzie Ford was sixth on Bars, 11th on Beam, 13th All Around, as well as 15th on Vault and Floor.
Xaria Jourdain was eighth on Vault and Floor, 14th on Bars and 15th on Beam and All Around.
Emily Grant was 16th on Beam, 18th on Vault and Bars, 19th All Around and 20th on Floor.
Their senior counterparts, who were competing in JO Levels 6 to 10 took their talents to the 2019 Artistic Gymnastics BC Championships in Coquitlam this past weekend (April 12-14).
RESULTS:
JO6
Sienne Gryschuk was 17th on Beam and 18th on Vault, Bars, Floor and All Around.
Seaura Stewart was seventh on Beam, 17th on Vault, 13th on Bars, 10th on Floor and 10th All Around.
Hannah Brown won a bronze on Vault, placed 14th on Bars and finished eighth on Beam, 13th on Floor and 11th All Around.
JO7
Courtney Kitamura won another bronze on Vault and placed 11th on Bars, 17th on Beam, 16th on Floor and 12th All Around.
Samantha Thomas placed 16th on Vault, 17th on Bars, sixth on Beam, and 13th on Floor andAll Around.
JO8
Christine Kline placed ninth on Vault, eighth on Bars, sixth on Beam, eighth on Floor and fifth All Around.
Presley Kitamura placed 11th on Vault, 12th on Bars, fourth on Beam, and 10th on Floor and All Around.
JO9
Jessica Higgins won a bronze for Bars and placed sixth on Vault, 17th on Beam, 16th on Floor and 10th All Around.
ASPIRE 1
Geillan MacEwan placed 17th on Vault, 10th on Bars, 13th on Beam and Floor and 14th All Around.
Head coach Peggy Willcox says she is very happy with the whole team’s performance.
“Some had personal bests, she says. “And some of them were trying out some new skills that they worked towards, so when they were able to do those successfully, it was a huge achievement. And some of them are just trying to polish off their routines and those are the ones who ended up medalling.”
Courtney Kitamura was extremely pleased with her bronze in Vault.
“It felt good because it’s my first time ever placing at provincials,” she says. “It’s my second year in level seven, so I think I’m better this year than last year.”
READ MORE: Quesnel high school gymnast is honoured by coaches and team mates
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