Glacier Gymnasts steal show at 2018 Kootenay Zone Gymnastics & Trampoline Championships
By Contributor
Nelson’s Glacier Gymnastics Team won four first-place team awards at the 2018 Kootenay Zone Gymnastics & Trampoline Championships this past weekend. Two hundred and eighty gymnasts participated in the event vying for individual all-around, event and team titles.
Competing against teams from Trail, Castlegar, Creston, Cranbrook, Kimberley, Canmore, Invermere, Penticton and Golden, Nelson won Team firsts in the Junior Olympic Competitive Level 6, Level 7-8 categories, as well as the Zone 1 Pre-Level 6 and High School categories.
Glacier Gymnastics’ recent BC Provincial Championships Junior Olympic gymnasts continued their winning streak in the Junior Olympic Level 6, 7 & 8 categories, winning 36 medals at the Kootenay Zone Championships. Medal highlights in the Level 6, 9-11 years category; Shelbi van Hellemond claimed the All Around gold medal, just ahead of teammates Livia Richardson who won the silver medal and Rayne Jean took the bronze. And Macy Loutit, won the gold medal on floor in her first Level 6 competition. In the Level 6, 12 & up category, Teagan McTague captured the All Around gold medal with Elsa Sollid winning the silver, and Elisa Clark taking the gold on floor, followed by Brynn McTague with the bronze.
In the Junior Olympic Level 7 – all ages category, Eden Bellman won the gold on floor and bronze all around and on beam.
In the Junior Olympic Level 8 – all ages category, the Glacier team had 2 gymnasts on the all-around podium, Brianne Stefani claiming the gold medal and Dafni van Hellemond right behind her winning the silver.
“This is a great end to a successful season for our Junior Olympic competitors,” said Glacier Gymnastics Head Coach, Sandra Long. Most competitors added new skills or moved up a level for this competition. “With all the routine changes, the girls still looked polished and performed well.”
The 12 Glacier gymnasts competing in the Zone 1 Pre-Level 6 category earned a total of 24 Zone Championship medals. In the 8-10 year age-group, Glacier took the top two all-around podium position with Jersey Skolka taking the gold medal and Molly Anderson winning the silver. And Anni vanHellemond, won the gold medal in both the vault and floor events. Emerson Mandseth took gold on the bars, Marin Smienk won gold on vault and Maya Smith captured bronze on beam. In the 11 & up age-group, Glacier cleaned up on the all-around podium, with Georgia Shuel winning gold followed by teammates Maite Troutet with silver and Kallie Bardry with the bronze. Paityn Lake secured a gold medal on the floor event.
The Glacier coaching team is delighted with the performances of the team’s junior competitors. “Their dedicated training has paid off for them,” says Long. “If our new competitors continue their progress we will see a bigger and more successful team attending BC Championships next season.”
The Glacier High School Girls 16-member Team claimed 38 Zone Championships medals.
In the Junior High School Level 1 category, Lucca Dehnel won all-around silver. In the Junior High School Level 2 category, glacier once again swept the all-around podium, with Shekinah Parks taking the gold, Maggie Silverson the silver and Josie Cowan the bronze. Zeva Rushforth took the silver on vault followed by Taya Wastl with the bronze. The the High School Level 2 category, Ella Dulmage won bronze all-around, Fawn Herzig won gold on bars and Emma Lake captured the silver on vault. Lumay Plautz won gold all around in the High School Level 3 category followed by Tia Berens who claimed the silver. In the High School Level 4 category, Sara Tolles won the gold all-around.
In the trampoline discipline, Jace Reid, Joshua Imeda, Anni van Hellemond and Paityn Lake all won all around gold in their respective age group categories.
