3 women’s artistic gymnasts storm back to home nationals

By Anil Jhalli

A dozen local athletes will be in the mix amongst the nation’s best when the Canadian Gymnastics Championships return to Carleton University May 26-31, including three first-timers who will break a one-year hiccup in Ottawa’s gymnastics record.

Last year, there were no hometown entrants in the category with the greatest participation across the country, but the trio of Adrianka Forrest and Sofia Baggio from Ottawa Gymnastics Centre and Julie Anne Fiset from Tumblers Gymnastics Centre are set to change that when they compete in the women’s artistic division.

“I’m really excited,” signals Fiset, who earned her place in the national novice high-performance category thanks to her performance at February’s Elite Canada event in Gatineau. “I’m definitely happy it’s in Ottawa. I like competing near here. (For Elite Canada), I liked sleeping in my bed. And my family can come watch as well.”

Fiset, a seventh-place finisher at the Ontario championships, says she’s also looking forward to reuniting with the athletes she faced off against at Elite Canada.

“I made lots of friends from clubs across Canada,” notes the Grade 7 Béatrice-Desloges high school student.

For Baggio and Forrest, they won’t have to look far at all for a supportive companion as they deal with the jitters of making their nationals debut.

“Having her there, with me, makes everything a little easier,” indicates Baggio, a 14-year-old All Saints Catholic High School student.

Forrest, also 14, echoes her clubmate’s sentiments.

“She’s my best friend and my partner in crime,” adds the Broadview Public School student.

Both OGC athletes grew accustomed to success on the provincial stage, each earning podium positions in Ontario and Eastern Canada two seasons ago. In their first year competing against athletes in the higher national open category, they both snuck through as national qualifiers, with Baggio placing ninth (with 49.75 points) and Forrest in 11th (with 49.4) at the provincial championships.

“I was a bit nervous, but I knew what I had to do,” recounts Baggio. “I just stayed focused and everything worked out. And now, here I am, going to nationals.”

Forrest, who, like Baggio, is eyeing an NCAA gymnastics scholarship down the line, was also pleased to get the reward of a nationals appearance.

“If you work hard enough, anything can happen,” she smiles.

Podium potential for 2 men
OGC’s Taylor Jackie Spriggs and National Capital’s Sam Zakutney are likely the two best bets for titles out of local athletes.

Zakutney won his third consecutive national title in a youth high-performance stream at last year’s Canadian Championships. The Grade 10 Franco-Cité high school student will now face older competitors in the junior men’s event, but he’s already earned a title in that category this year thanks to his win at Elite Canada.

Second-year Carleton student Spriggs, the national open runner-up in 2013, is coming off an impressive Ontario championships victory by more than four points over the field.

OGC’s Jaroslav Hojka and Bruno Webster, along with Tumblers’ Eric Gauthier, will also take part in the men’s artistic competition.

Producing five medal wins in five events, the brother combo of Vincent and Benjamin Tyo – Ottawa residents who train at Gatineau’s Unigym – led the local trampoline contingent at last year’s nationals, which also featured Spring Action’s Jonathan Arsenault and Steven Wade.

There won’t be any local competitors in the rhythmic gymnastics competition, but Ottawa native Lucinda Nowell will perform along with her fellow group rhythmic national team members during the Canadian Championships.

Nowell is a product of the Kanata Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, one of four host clubs (along with OGC, Tumblers and Unigym).