Glacier trio — Majeski, Stefani & Kelly — pace host club at Zone Championships
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Age was not a factor during the zone gymnastics meet held at the Glacier Gym Club Saturday and Sunday.
Nine-year-old Abby Majeski, 10-year-old Brianne Stefani and 13-year-old Olivia Kelly won the lion’s share of the medals to pace the host Glacier Club at the 2015 Kootenay Zone Gymnastics & Trampoline Championships this past weekend in Nelson.
The trio of BC Provincial Champions paced the Glacier Team in medal count in the Junior Olympic (JO) categories.
“All the girls are finishing off the season with very strong routine performances,” said Long. “It is a strong indicator of success for next season as some of the girls will be trying out for the BC Winter Games team.”
The meet attracted more than 200 athletes from Nelson, Trail, Castlegar, Creston, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Penticton and Golden.
Stefani claimed the All Around silver medal and another two gold, and one bronze for events in the JO Level 7 category competing against gymnasts 4-6 years older than her.
Kelly repeated her Provincials performance in the JO Level 6, 13 &up category, winning Silver All Around and a medal on each event, two-silver, a gold and a bronze.
Majeski also walked away with five medals in the JO Level 6, 9-10years category, silver All Around and two gold, a silver and bronze for events.
Other Glacier Gymnasts winning JO event medals: Dafni van Hellemond (10-11yrs), silver on JO Level 6 vault. Maika Houde (13-and-up), bronze on JO Level 6 beam.
Sarah Tolles (all ages), 2 silvers JO Level 7, vault and beam. Kylee Dyck (all ages), silver on JO Level 8 bars.
The Glacier JO Level 6-8 team earned the second place Team Award coming in behind the Key City Gymnastics Team from Cranbrook.
“Cranbrook has an older more experienced team,” said Long. “But our young girls are polished with excellent technique and held their own, missing out on 1st place by only three tenths of a point.”
Long says that the girls are hard working, confident and consequently are raising the level of gymnastics being performed at the Nelson Club.
“The up and coming beginner competitive Glacier Team looks to these girls for inspiration and role modeling and the effect was obvious in the results of the new competitors on the weekend.”
The beginner competitors of Glacier Gymnastics won three out of the four All Around titles in the Zone 1 Competitive (JO Pre-Level 6) category.
“Our new competitors really cleaned up in this category,” said Long. “Many of these girls will be moving into the higher competitive levels next season.”
In the 8-9 year age-group, Olivia Bezaire won the gold All Around and a silver and bronze medal on events. Shelbi van Hellemond, took the silver All Around and a gold and silver medal on events. Eden Bellman won gold on Floor. Neve Hamilton claimed bronze on vault.
In the 10 year age-group, Alexa Anast, won the gold All Around and two gold and a silver medal on events. Raven Sperling, won silver All Around and a gold and two silver event medals. Tehya Colbeck claimed the All Around bronze and one gold and 2 silver event medals. Kate May took home a gold, silver and bronze medals on events. Chloe Diote won 2 bronze event medals.
In the 11-year age-group, Ashlynn D’Alessandris won 5 medals, Silver All Around, and 2 gold, and 2 bronze event medals. Suki Simington claimed two event medals, one gold, one silver.
In the 12 year age-group, Lily Taylor won gold All Around, gold on three events and one event silver. Amanda Schacher was Silver All Around, and also won two silver and one gold event medal. Elisa Clark was the bronze All Around winner, and won silver on beam.
Mercedes Majeski took home a bronze event medal.
The Glacier coaching team is delighted with the performances of the new competitors the Zone 1 (JO Pre-Level 6) Glacier Team won the 1st Place Team Award by a landslide. “Their dedicated training has paid off for them,” says Long.
The Glacier High School Girls Team also won the first Place Team Award.
In the High School Level 1 category, Taila Lancaster won gold All Around and two gold and one silver event medal. Peyton Whitaker claimed the silver All Around and one silver and 2 bronze event medals. Erika Bennet won a gold and a bronze event medal. Allysa Penner also won two event medals, one silver and a bronze.
Megan Poetsch, cleaned up in the High School Level 2 category, winning the gold All Around and two gold, a silver and bronze event medals.
Nelson’s Trampoline gymnasts all won medals on each discipline, testing out new skills for the upcoming BC Trampoline Provincials in Port Moody May 15-17.
In the Double-Mini Event, Matthew Bullen won gold in the boys event and Chris Lawrence-Jeffery was close behind winning the silver medal. Zoe Crisfield won gold in the girls Double-mini category.
In the Trampoline Event, Chris Lawrence-Jeffery claimed the gold medal and Matthew Bullen won the bronze medal in the boys category. Zoe Crisfield also won the bronze medal in the girls event.
Other personal accomplishments of the Glacier Team over the weekend occurred in the Perfomance Plus category.
Glacier Gymnasts earning All Around Gold in the Gymnastics Performance Plus category: Erica Potkins, Nyah Hedstrom, Ella Taylor, Simone Hildebrand, Sarah Roberstson, Fiona Burkholder, Ally Nicholson, Elsa Sollid, Aida Hedstrom, Macy Weston, Aurora Dool, Ava Anast, Abby Ens.
Earning an All Around Silver: Amelia Finley, Bella Grill
Earning an All Around Bronze: Neeva Marechal.
Glacier Trampoline Perfomance Plus accomplishments: Double Mini Trampoline Gold: Cam Bibby-Fox & Benji Westergreen. Trampoline Gold: Cam Bibby-Fox, Silver: Benji Westergreen.
