By Dan Plouffe
Local rhythmic gymnasts are preparing for their second home meet of the year – a rarity in a sport that’s highly centred around the GTA in Ontario – when the second and final provincial championships comes to Kanata April 20-21.
“Normally we go out of town for competitions, so it’s fun to have our own,” notes Kanata Rhymthic Gymnastics Club’s Megan Kawai, who competes in the highest provincial category, Level 6C. “It gives me a chance to invite my friends to come watch.”
Ask some of the more senior local athletes if they’ve ever had a provincial qualifier at home and they’ll tell you they are pretty sure it’s happened only once before in their whole careers.
“There was maybe one when I was younger,” says Jaimee Loh, a Grade 12 Cairine Wilson Secondary School student who now coaches the next generation at Ottawa Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. “It’s convenient. We don’t have to drive all the way to Toronto.”
The Kanata event will provide an opportunity for numerous local athletes to further strengthen their positioning in the provincials standings after posting strong results at the first qualifier March 15-17 at Seneca College in Toronto.
Ottawa’s Cleo Page earned the best all-around score in the Level 5B, Age 13-15 competition, while Ottawa’s Sophia Yang (L5A, 13-15) and Kristin Polegato (L6A, 16+) and Kanata’s Danica Goodchild (L6B 16+) and Kawai (L6C 16+) were second-place all-around finishers, with Kanata’s Sarah Manyoki (L5B 13-15) and Caroline Liang (L4B 10-12) and Ottawa’s Jaimee Loh (L6A 16+) in third all-around.
Before putting in those performances, the local athletes got to warm up with the annual Kanata Cup competition March 9-10 at Bridlewood Community Elementary School.
“It’s really nice to have this as preparation,” remarks Ottawa’s Katherine Prior, who got the chance to work out the kinks in one of her routines when the ribbon suddenly came unclipped from her stick at the Kanata Cup. “It was kind of scary. It never happened to me before, so for the rest of my routine, I was a bit nervous.”
Nationals coming to town There will be a third home rhythmic competition later this season as well, when the Canadian gymnastics championships come to town May 21-26 at Carleton University. The provincial-level gymnasts won’t be there to compete, but many plan to help out or watch the best in the country as spectators.
Kanata, one of the host clubs, also hopes to have one of their own there.
Lucinda Nowell has enjoyed a solid start to her season, having placed 19th all-around at March’s Elite Canada competition in Richmond, B.C., and then third all-around (with hoop bronze, ribbon bronze and ball silver) at Elite Ontario two weeks later in Etobicoke.
“All my routines are more difficult than last year,” highlights Nowell, who finished seventh at her first senior nationals last season. “Not all my routines at competitions have been great, but I’m pretty happy overall, and I think I’ve improved over last year.”
Nowell will attempt to win her spot at nationals a week after the qualifier at Kanata, through the April 25-28 Eastern Regionals in Montreal – where she trains 2-3 times per week with the Rythmik Quebec club.
“That would be really fun to have it in Ottawa,” says the Grade 11 Earl of March Secondary School student. “My friends and family would be there and I’d know the people running it. It’d be really nice.”
The Kanata qualifier for June’s provincial championships runs from 7:15 a.m.-8:50 p.m. Saturday and 7:15 a.m.-4:20 p.m. Sunday at Earl of March Secondary School.
Look for coverage in May’s Ottawa Sportspage.