By Nathan Kanter

Battlefords Gymnastics Club shines at two competitions

Apr 12, 2018 | 12:00 PM

It’s a busy time for the Battlefords Gymnastics Club, with both Provincials and Western Regional Championships on the horizon; one next week and one in mid-May.

The group may be carrying some extra confidence leading up to those big events, as many of the club’s athletes picked up some positive results at two recent competitions. Seven artistic gymnasts competed at the Can-Am Personal Best Invitational in Saskatoon and three rhythmic gymnasts competed in Regina at the Wascana Invitational last weekend.

Zara Carter, Hailey Dyck, and Kyra Kolenosky each competed in Junior-Olympic (JO) level 7 in Saskatoon, which is considered a provincial level. Carter finished eighth all-around and fourth all-around on floor; Dyck placed ninth all-around and eighth place on beam; Kolenosky finished ninth all-around in her first meet as a JO level 7.

“I thought they did a really good job because I know they were all very, very nervous going into it,” head coach Danielle Clark said. “Last year, two of them only competed as level 4s, so they basically went from a level 4 to a level 7 this year.”

Of the four other athletes that competed in Saskatoon, Rory Salzl stood out with a second-place finish on bars in JO level 3.

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“JO is the program that we use all across Canada as well as in the United States,” Clarke explained. “JO level 3 is when you start competing against other athletes and it goes up to JO level 10. So once you get to JO level 8, that would be considered Western level.”

In Regina at the Wascana Invitational, Kieffer Gidych received second all-around in level 6A. MacKenzie Gidych received second all-around in 5A, and Kalli Lafreniere received third all-around in 5A.

Provincials for the club are in Prince Albert May 11-13, and Clark said she plans to send eight or nine athletes.

“I’m hoping that we take a first- or second-place all-around in the JO 3 category,” Clark said. “And then for the JO 6s, it’s just about achieving their personal best scores.”

Two of the club’s athletes, Danielle Clark and Kelsee Douglas, are also competing at the Western Regional Championships next week in Winnipeg.

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11