By Dan Plouffe Ottawa gymnasts participated in events far away and closer to home this past month, and soon they’ll get the chance to compete at the lone local provincial championships qualifier this season from Feb. 22-24 at Ottawa Gymnastics Centre.
In Edmonton Jan. 25-28 for the National Stream Cup, Tumblers Gymnastics Centre athletes Avery Rosales and Juliette Chapman, both nine years old, helped Team Ontario to a bronze medal performance in the team competition. Competing in the Canadian Pre-Novice Aspire category in a field of 37 gymnasts, Rosales was fifth all-around and qualified for three event finals, winning gold on uneven bars and beam. Chapman qualified for two events finals despite battling the flu, which caused her to withdraw on the second day of competition.
“For both, it was an incredible experience matching their skills up against some of the top girls in the country in their age group,” noted Tumblers general manager Karl Balisch.
Matthew Frosst of Ottawa Gymnastics Centre traveled to Chicago for the Windy City Invitational Jan. 18-20, helping the Ontario tour team to a fifth place finish. Athletes from Olympia Gymnastics will also make a trip to Chicago for a large competition in early February.
The first men’s artistic gymnastics provincial championships qualifier took place in Toronto Jan. 26-27. OGC’s Taylor Jackle Spriggs was the lone local all-around champion, dominating the National Open category for a victory by almost five points. Also on the AA podium were National Capital’s Ryan Diep, Alex Sonkodi and Samir Farah, Tumblers Matthew Lavoie, Ramzy Hamwi, Eric Gauthier and Justin Perry, OGC’s Ben Frosst, Nicholas Yankowich, Gabriel Riendeau and Arryn Jackle Spriggs.
Women’s artistic gymnasts continued their seasons with January provincial qualifiers in Oshawa, Woodbridge and Milton.
All-around category winners included Olympia’s Emily Urbisci and Meghan Heer, Tumblers Chelsea Gauthier and Maya Rana, and Corona’s Piper Veloso, Anna Meech, Olivia Hein and Jamie LeFort.
Full results were not available from the Feb. 2-3 qualifier in Mississauga as of press time.
Ottawa gymnasts ranked in the top-5 of the women’s artistic qualification standings include GCGC’s Caleigh Choi (Level 7, A14/15), Emillie Dubuc from Les Sittelles (L7, A16+), Corona’s Jennifer Vo (L8, A 12/13), Tumblers’ Beth Webster (L9, A10/11), and Sarah Hu (Level 8, Age 10/11), Lubina Nayak (L9, A14+) and Natalka Forrest and Bella Musca (L7, A9), all of OGC.
Local trampolinists Avery Wheat, Jonathan Arsenault and Conrad Simard of Spring Action, and Air Gliders Ben Tyo and Francis Tyo were all medalists at the first Ontario Cup trampoline event in Richmond Hill.