Baylee and Hannah shine in gymnastics

Hannah Scholefield.

GISBORNE Gymnastics Club’s Baylee Crago was second overall in Level 7 boys’ competition at the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay open championships in Hawke’s Bay at the weekend.

Baylee was first on rings, vault and high bar, and second on floor, pommel and parallel bars. He scored 69.550 over all six apparatuses, and his performance augurs well for October’s national championships in Invercargill, for which he has qualified.

Overall first place went to Napier’s Xavier Le Lievre.

Hannah Scholefield placed fifth overall in Step 8, and posted qualifying scores with her vault and floor performances. Hannah was first on floor on the second day. She will seek her overall qualification score in Step 8 when she competes in Auckland in three weeks.

Step 5 had 49 entrants. Gabrielle Wong was sixth overall and Jade Swann, eighth.

Vault has been the top apparatus for both girls, and in this they placed fourth equal. Both girls have several qualification scores and are working to improve their skills and routines to get better scores when they compete in Auckland at the beginning of August.

The selection panel will choose the top three overall scores per gymnast, average them and rank all 14 Step 5 girls in this region.

Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay region includes Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Taradale and Waipukurau. The top four gymnasts per step or level will be selected to go to the national championships.

In Step 6, Elisabeth Missen placed fifth on the balance beam. From now on, Elisabeth will be concentrating on learning and perfecting new skills for next season.