Okanagan Gymnastics Centre members stood out among the 1,800 athletes competing in the Best Of The West Gymnastics Fest in Richmond on the weekend.
Three OGC boys competed for Team BC in the Western Canadian championship portion of the Gym Fest, with Shane Hiscock contributing to a B.C. gold in Level 5 by making five of a possible six finals and placing fifth overall. Hiscock earned a pair of silver medals — for his floor exercise routine and parallel bars performance — while claiming a bronze medal on the horizontal bar.
The OGC’s Brady Clegg and Lucas Fabian, also coached by Jon Mason, were a part of Team BC’s Level 4 contingent, with Clegg qualifying for four of six event finals and coming away with a silver medal on the pommel horse and a bronze on the horizontal bar. Fabian made it to two event finals, winning bronze on both the parallel bars and the vault.
On the female side, Jenna Mick and Vanessa Bulcock, coached by Jesse Jakins and Heather Ivanitz, qualified for in girls’ JO 9 category and helped Team BC win gold in the Western Canadian competition.
Mick finished the first day of competition in first place on the balance beam and third on the vault to qualify for event finals. She earned a fourth-place overall in both events.
The Delta Invitational competition at Gym Fest saw 50 girls and 12 boys compete under the OGC colours.
In the girls JO 2 category, seven young ladies competed for the very first time. They performed their routines in all events, earning them total scores and an overall score and medal.
Finishing with silver overall were Rae Roworth, Ava Roth and Paige Trottier. Bronze-medal winners overall were Makena Ivanitz, Taylor Campbell, Kaydin Weiler and Rylea Regier.
Olive Fenske finished in the top spot overall in the JO 3 child category. She earned gold on vault, uneven bars and floor exercise. Junelle Sabang claimed a silver medal on the uneven bars, while Izabelle Coetzee brought home a silver medal for her performance on the balance beam.
In the JO 3 junior category, Haylee Van Steinburg of the OGC finished in second place overall after winning the balance beam and finishing third place on the floor. Eva Solano garnered a silver medal on the floor.
Piper Campo’s performance on the vault earned her a silver medal in the JO 4 competition,
The JO 5 category saw Natalia Simeuonvic finish first overall in the JO 5 category by winning on the vault and uneven bars. Miah Denis finished third overall, winning gold on floor, silver on beam and bronze on the uneven bars. Thea Elma finished with a silver on the balance beam.
Hayley Zandee competed in the JO 6 category earning a silver medal for her floor exercise routine.
In the JO 7 junior category, Mackenzie Carroll won the all-around title by winning the bars, finishing second on beam and placing third on floor. Kenedi Woodcox finished third overall on the strength of a silver medal on the floor and bronze medals on vault and uneven bars. Kayleigh Nicolson won the floor exercise and a bronze on the balance beam.
In JO 7 senior category, Emily MacKay took the top spot overall after winning the vault and uneven bars. She also finished with a silver on the floor exercise and earned the highest score of any OGC athlete with a 9.825 on vault. Danica Graves earned two bronze medals on the vault and balance beam.
Grace Driver earned a silver medal on the uneven bars in JO 8, while Lucia Jakab took the bronze in the JO 9 competition with a bronze finish on vault, bars and all around.
Of the 51 female athletes competing this weekend, 43 of them stuck their beam routines. Usually, the coaches are satisfied if the girls reach 50 per cent, but this past weekend they were successful at 84 per cent.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ artistic gymnastics Level 1 competition Tristian Edwards, Elliot Bone and Artiom Potapciuc all finished with gold overall.
Brent Rambold competed in the Level 2 category, winning the parallel bars and horizontal bar.
In the Level 3 competition, Willis Plant finished second place overall after winning the rings and parallel bars. He also earned a silver medal on the floor and a bronze on the horizontal bar.
In the Level 4 competition, Oliver Eisele finished first overall, winning the floor, rings, vault and parallel bars.
OGC coach Shawna Peters accompanied her team of eight athletes to the BC Gymnaestrada where the performed their acrobatic routine.
The team consisted of Ahna Jones, Alivia Brown, Sydney Evans, Raynna Jones, Ava Murphy, Kristen Riopel, Cheyanna Wolff and Maddi Dalkieth.
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