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Gym club attends first competition of the season

March was a busy month for the Ponoka Gymnastics and Trampoline Club.
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Zumba fundraiser: Christie Smith takes part in Andrea Ramage’s Zumba fundraiser class March 25. The exercise buffs raised $170 toward the Ponoka Youth Centre.

March was a busy month for the Ponoka Gymnastics and Trampoline Club. Eight gymnasts travelled to their first competition of the season in Rimbey. Six of these athletes were competing for their first time and everyone had fun and did well.

Thayden Tiemstra led this Cangym 3 group, receiving a bronze medal with a score of 37.5. He had first-place scores on vault and bars and second-place scores on beam and floor.

Complete results as follows:

Connor Burns: first on vault, bars and beam; second on floor; 36.5 all-around (5).

Jayden Kraft: first on bars, floor; second vault, beam; 35.9 all-around (8).

Bailey Donison: first on bars; second vault and beam; third on floor; 35.2 all-around.

Addison Saunders: first bars; second floor and beam; third vault; 34.2 all-around.

Emma Leclerc: first on bars; second floor and vault, third on beam; 33.2 all-around.

Two other gymnasts, Shannon Bendera and Sarah Nicholson, moved up to challenge the Cangym 5 level this year. Both did well performing their newly acquired skills and placing fifth and sixth all around.

Shannon Bendera: first on vault and beam; second on bars and floor; 36.6 all-around.

Sarah Nicholson: first on vault; second bars, beam and floor; 35.8 all-around.

The following week 11 athletes competed in Lacombe, with four of these gymnasts competing for the first time. In the Cangym 3 argo age group, Jodi Newton received a silver medal for her 32.7 all-around score in her first meet. She had a first-place score on vault and second-place scores on bars, beam and floor.

Bailey Donison also received a silver medal for her all-around score of 34.1. Bailey had a first-place score on vault, second-place scores on beam and floor and third on bars. Emma Leclerc was also competing in this group but an unfortunate fall in her first event put her out of the competition.

Competing in the Cangym 3 tyro age group, Connor Burns received a gold medal for his 36.6 all-around fourth highest score. He had first-place scores on vault and beam and second-place scores on bars and floor.

Lisanna Weever and Cydney Newton were both competing for the first time and both received silver all-around medals with scores of 35.2 and 34.0. Lisanna had first-place scores on vault, beam and floor with a third-place bar score. Cydney had first on vault and beam, second on floor and third on bars.

Three gymnasts competed at the Cangym 3 novice age group; Tessa Johnston, Jayden Kraft and Jallelle Nichols-Bowie.

Tessa, competing in her first meet, had an impressive third highest all-around score of 35.7 for her age group. She had first-place scores on vault and floor, with second-place scores on beam and bars for a silver medal all-around.

Jayden had a first-place score on vault and second on bars, beam floor and all-round (35.4). Jallelle had a first-place vault score, second-place beam, floor and all-around (34.6) with a third-place score on bars.

The last two athletes were competing in the Cangym 5 novice level. Sarah Nicholson did extremely well having the highest all-around score (37.3) for her age group. She had first-place scores on every event even scoring a perfect 10 on vault.

Shannon Bendera also had first-place scores on every event except bars where she had a second-place score. Her all-around total was 36.9.

All of the gymnasts are back in the gym practicing skills to complete their badge levels. A few athletes will compete in Three Hills, Carstairs and Olds as we finish up the season in mid-April.

— SUBMITTED