Top turnout for gym event

IN THE ZONE: Young local gymnasts show varying degrees of focus as they prepare to compete at the Kaitaia Gymnastics Club's annual competition in early July.

A record number of 113 gymnasts representing the elite from clubs across the province competed at the annual Kaitaia Gymnastics Club competition earlier this month.

Event spokesperson Maureen Perry said the turnout for the event on Saturday, July 4, was very pleasing for organisers. She went on to note the day ran like "clockwork", thanks to a hard-working and experienced committee running the ship, mostly behind the scenes.

"Everybody was really happy, A lot of planning goes into making this happen," she said adding the event also provided a forum to check out the state of the art - at provincial level at least - particularly for those families who couldn't or wouldn't travel to 'outside' competitions .

"Lots of [our local] people that won't travel to competitions, this gives them a chance to represent at a regional comp. It costs a lot of money to compete [at an event] in Auckland," Perry noted.

With the Kaitaia, Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, Whangarei Academy of Gymnastics (WAGS), Fantastic Gymnastics, and Mahurangi clubs represented, the girls competed on four apparatus while the boys performed on six. The competition ran from 8.30am until 5pm with a new age/ level group completed every two hours, which made for a long day for the coaches, judges, administration people and helpers. Results by the Kaitaia gymnasts were as follows.

GIRLS. Step 5, Division 2: Jacinta van der Linden, 1st vault, beam and floor, 2nd bar, 1st overall, gold medal; Shelby Callaghan, 3rd vault, bar, beam and floor, 3rd overall, bronze medal. Step 3, Division 1: Jessica McCarthny 2nd vault, 3rd bar, 5th beam and floor, 4th overall. Division 2: Nina Heron 4th= vault, 6th beam, with a 'well done' to Cassidy Foster.

Step 2, Division 1: Annalys Riddle 3rd beam; Aria Reed 6th vault; Lesley Blud 2nd bar, 4th vault and beam, 6th floor, 4th overall; Tiaawai Witana- 5th vault, 6th bar. Division 2: Vivienne Cosner 4th vault, 5th beam

Step 1, Division 1: Anika Riddle- 3rd vault, bar, beam and floor, 3rd overall, bronze medal. Division 2: Brooke Gamble 5th vault; Raukura McNab 2nd vault and beam, 6th overall, with a 'well done' for Moengaroa Taylor, Jesse-Lee Beatson, Laurel Wilson, Paige Hall, Roimata Clark-Fairclough and Starbright Hoani.

BOYS. Level 5: Andrew van der Linden 1st pommel, rings, vault and parallel bars, 2nd floor, 3rd high bar, 1st overall, gold medal; Morgan Dolfing 1st high bar, 3rd pommel, rings, vault and parallel bars, 4th floor, 3rd overall, bronze medal. Level 2: Waikotahi Pitman Going 2nd pommel and parallel bars, 3rd vault, 4th high bar and rings, 6th floor, 2nd overall, silver medal; Scott Haines 2nd rings, 3rd high bar and floor, 4th pommel, 6th overall.

Level 1: Jacob Morris 1st= rings, 3rd vault, 4th high bar and floor, 5th parallel bars, 6th pommel, 4th= overall; Noah Sunkal 1st pommel and vault, 5th floor and rings, 6th parallel bars and high bar, 6th overall.

The Kaitaia Gymnastics Club thanked everyone who helped in the lead-up to the competition, as well as those who helped on the day. The next provincial event is the Northland Championships at the Whangarei Academy of Gymnastics on August 8.