Medals, personal bests and provinicial-qualifying scores are just some of the highlights for members of the Quesnel Technics Gymnastics Club, who hosted their annual Gold Pan meet Feb. 22-24 at Correlieu Secondary School.
“The meet was a huge success with a large number of athletes from Quesnel competing,” according to the club. “There were many athletes who attained overall scores of 36 or higher or scores of nine or higher in more than one event. In addition to this, there were many personal bests and a few new athletes who competed for the first or second time who performed extremely well and now are excited for their next competition.”
Coach Taylor O’Flynn says the girls did way better than expected.
“They did just fantastic,” she gushed. “They smiled, they showed off their beautiful gymnastics the best they could, and it showed with the medals.”
The meet was the second of the year after the Prince George Judges Cup, and all of the athletes have improved markedly since, says O’Flynn.
“The main thing is the way they show it off,” she said. “Their presentation is fantastic. They’re still using their same skills, but it’s the way that they present it that has really gotten better.”
At the Gold Pan meet, all of the competitive athletes from Quesnel attained qualifying scores to attend the Provincials in April.
Below are the highlights for each athlete:
Level JO1
Avery Strang – gold on vault, bars and beam
Meija Jennings – gold on vault, beam and floor, gold all around
Ava Peterson – gold on beam (personal best) and vault
Thea MacDonald – gold on beam
Indie Jennings – silver on vault, beam, floor and bars, silver all around
Alexa Boychuk – gold on vault, beam and floor, gold all around
Level JO2
Kamryn Grant – 3rd on beam and received scores of 9 points or higher on vault, beam and floor
Jaycee Neadow – 1st on bars and beam, 1st all around
Anna Maria Kadenbach – received scores of 9 points or higher on vault, beam and floor
Level JO3
Paige Grant – 2nd on bars
Reese Hackney – 1st on vault, 2nd all around
Jersey Leeson – 1st on vault
Justine Biller – 1st on vault, 2nd on floor
Isabella Burke – 1st on beam, 2nd all around
Rylynn Nugent – 1st on vault, 2nd on beam and floor
Tahlia Denis – 3rd on bars and beam
Level JO4
Kassia Kitamura – 1st on vault, 2nd all around
Emily Grant – 4th on beam, 4th on vault and a personal best on bars
Xaria Jourdain – 2nd place floor, 3rd place vault
Mackenzie Ford – 2nd on bars, 3rd all around
Level JO6
Seaura Stewart – had a personal best competition with scores of 8.350 or above on all events
Sienna Gryschuk – 1st on beam, 2nd on floor, 2nd all around
Hannah Brown – 1st on floor, 3rd on vault
Level JO7
Courtney Kitamura – 2nd on beam and floor, and 2nd all around
Samantha Thomas – 3rd on bars
Level JO8
Christine Kline – received a qualifying score to attend provincials and a gold all around
Level JO9
Jessica Higgins – received a score of 9 or higher on vault and floor with a gold all around
Aspire 1
Geillian MacEwan – received a score of 9 or higher on multiple events and a gold all around
High School
Brady Smith (QJS) – 1st on vault, 2nd all around
Zoey Nestel (QJS) – 3rd on beam
Siddalee Visser (QJS) – 6th on vault and beam
Brooklyn Glassford (QJS) – 3rd on vault
Danae McCroy (NCCS) – 1st on vault
Sydney Jolly (QJS) – 2nd on vault
Rachel Ganes (QJS) – 1st on vault, 2nd all around
Hannah Brown (CSS) – 3rd on floor
Sierra Moore (CSS) – 9th on vault
Alyssa Schneider (CSS) – 3rd on bars
Jessica Higgins (CSS) – 1st on vault and bars, 1st all around, and earned a trophy for her bars routine
Presley Kitamura (QJS) – 1st on beam and floor, 2nd all around, and earned a trophy for her floor routine
Interclub
Alexi Valentine – amazing front handspring over the barrel on floor
Lancia Howe – amazing back flexibility in bridge on beam, and she won a trophy for her bars routine
Eden Ziemer – amazing floor routine with a ribbon and displayed huge confidence by completing her floor routine even though her music cut out
Sayla Forman – amazing vault that was tight with a very fast run
Freya Cormack – gold on all events, gold all around, and earned a trophy for her bars routine
Carolyn Biller – gold on vault and beam, gold all around
Katelynne Singer – gold on vault and beam, gold all around, and earned a trophy for her vault
Carmen Silva – gold on vault and floor
Lily Grace Winthrope – gold on vault, beam and floor
Danica Harris – gold on vault