A team representing Powell River travelled to Comox last month to attend its opening gymnastics competition of the season. The Women’s Artistic Gymnastics squad included 15 members from Powell River Gymnastics’ competitive team.
“The Comox Pajama Party is the perfect way to start the season,” stated Powell River Gymnastics Club office manager Karyne Bailey in a media release. “It’s close to home and allows our athletes to practice their routines before attending the zone championships and larger competitions in the Lower Mainland.”
Level 1 teams are scored as bronze, silver or gold on how well they perform compulsory routines, which is designed by the United States Gymnastics Association.
“Every JO [Junior Olympic] level one through five performs the same routine,” added Bailey. “It creates consistency for what is being performed and allows judges to focus on the technique of the skill and look for mastery.”
The Level 1 team of Karen Hanna, Makenna Plisson, Eliana Thoma, Marlina Hanson, Berklee Olney, Jordana Tom, Talitha Hamilton-Garcia and Taige Maxwell brought home a combined 16 gold placements, 15 silver placements and nine bronze placements.
“For many of these athletes, it was their first-ever competition and the results show they have a great future ahead,” stated Bailey.
Mélodie Ouellet, Arwen Anderson, Kyla Randle and Larissa Laing competed in Level 3 and brought home a combined eight placement ribbons for different events.
The Comox event was the first competition in Level Four for Hadley Foster, Cheyenne Choo and Elise English. Foster placed fifth in her division, bringing home a gold for vault and beam, as well as a silver for uneven bars. Choo brought home a bronze medal for beam and placement ribbons for all other events and all-around. English won silver for uneven bars combined with placement ribbons for the other events and all-around.
Senior athlete Trystinna Bailey competed in the JO Level 8 category and took the silver medal for uneven bars and bronze medals for all other events, resulting in the bronze all-around medal. Trystinna also won the JO Level 8 trophy for best choreography for her new floor routine.
Next up for select members of the JO team is the Twisters Invitational, which takes place March 13 to 15 in Abbotsford.
