‘Pocket Rocket’ star of the future

WHAT GOES UP: Nina Buske performs a tramp routine at the Central Champs in Gisborne. Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

GISBORNE Trampoline Club dominated the Central Champs with a haul of 44 medals shared between 26 athletes.

The host club earned 23 gold medals and 10 of its trampolinists qualified for the national championships on the back of their performances.

One of the club's top performers was Porsha Hillman, who at just seven years of age won four gold medals in her first-ever competition.

Head coach Doug Callahan said the young athlete, who had earned the nickname “Pocket Rocket”, was an exciting prospect.

“She is incredible. She will go a long way in all aspects of the sport.”

Hillman was too young to go to the nationals — being held at Auckland's Trusts Arena in July — but was performing at a level of children much older than her, and could already do double backflips, he said.

Lily Rolls was unsuccessful in earning the required points for qualification for the world championships, but will have two more chances to raise the level of her performance, said Callahan.

“Her overall score was 57. She needed 62. It's up to her and if she puts in the training.”

Rolls' performance would have been good enough to earn qualification to the Australian champs and the Indo-Pacific champs, but these are not being held this year due to the pandemic, said Callahan.

Another standout performer was Lily Arnold, who qualified for the nationals in all three disciplines — trampoline, double mini and tumbling — after earning four medals, three of those gold.

Callahan said while the club was very successful at the champs, they had even higher aspirations and would be hoping to get another four or five athletes to the nationals in upcoming qualification events.

“I'm really rapt. The kids put in a lot of training, and my coaches (did) too.”

Gisborne results —

Qualified for nationals — Trampoline: James Van Aswegen, Tegan Hayward, Lily Arnold, Isileli Kamoto.

Double mini: Van Aswegen, Arnold, Hayley Rolls.

Tumbling: Lily Rolls, Arnold, Gabrielle Wong, Capria Tamatea, Hayley Rolls, Bella Campbell-Reidy.

Trampoline —

8 years and under female: Porsha Hillman 1, Emmie Fitzharris-Stevens 2.

8/u male: Tyler Sheldrake 1.

10/u male: Arthur Tilghman 1.

11-12 female: Kiara Kerekere 3.

11-12 male: Kamoto 2, Oliver Tilghman 3.

13-14 female: Arnold 1.

15-16 male: Van Aswegen 1.

Youth international: Charlie Holdsworth 2.

Double mini —

8/u female: Hillman 1, Sophie Rolls 2, Fitzharris-Stevens 3.

10/u female: Hayley Rolls 2.

10/u male: Arthur Tilghman 1, Waylon Lynch 3.

11-12 female: Kiara Kerekere 3.

13-14 female: Arnold 1, Hayward 2.

13-14 male: Ngature Tuhura 1.

15-16 male: Van Aswegen 1.

Youth international: Charlie Holdsworth 2.

Synchro —

10/u male: Connor Brooks/Lynch 1, Sheldrake/Tobias Smith 2.

11-12 female: Kerekere/Hillman 1.

11-12 male: Kamoto/Tilghman 1, Cael Smith/Ryan Phillips 3.

13-14 female: Hayward/Arnold 1, Milly Jones/Melody Lamb 2.

15-16 male: Van Aswegen/Logan Brown 2.

Tumbling —

8/u female: Hillman 1.

10/u female: Rolls 1, Campbell-Reidy 2.

13-14 female: Tamatea 1, Arnold 2.

17+ female: Wong 1.

Sub-junior female: Lily Rolls 1.