Eight selected for national gym champs

DELICATE BALANCE: Shannon Hill on the beam in Step 2 competition at the Levin Championships. PHOTO/ROBBIE HILL 160815WCSU

THE TOP talents of the Wanganui Boys & Girls Gym Club have had a very busy and very successful couple of months competing at events around the lower North Island.

Eight of them will now go on to compete at the NZ National Gymsports Championships at the Trusts Arena in Auckland from September 30 to October 4.

At the Wellington Opens, held July 17-19, William Warburton had a great Level 4 event, coming first overall after finishing second equal on pommel, third equal on rings, second equal on vault and winning the high bar.

Warburton's Level 4 team with Troy Rea and Amardin Firaza also won gold.

Firaza was third on the parallel bars which helped her finish 4th overall, and Rea won the floor event on the way to coming 5th overall.

Jonathan Maples finished third overall, while his Level 7 team with Jesse De Vincentis and Tom Binkle came second in their grade.

Focus then switched to Level 4 competition at the Rimutaka Championships on August 8-9.

Warburton was second overall after a third on rings and winning the pommel, vault and high bar.

Firaza was third overall after coming second on rings and vault, while Rea was third on floor and second on parallel bars.

At the Levin Championships, August 15-16, Eibhlin Lynch finished second overall in the Step 2, winning the floor and vault.

Kaitlin Dew came second on beam, as did Shannon Hill on floor and Anna Hughes on bar, while Paige Kitchen was second on beam in Step 1.

On the same weekend, it was off to Taranaki for the Waitara Championships.

Top prospect Millie Manning competed at Step 10 level and was 3rd overall on Day 1, then got second on bar and floor while winning the vault and beam on Day 2.

Genna Maples competed in Step 8 and won the vault, came second on bar and third on beam and floor.

Timara Wallace was fourth on vault in Step 5.

Head coach Kelly Taylor-Ward said all the members worked very hard and should be proud of their "fantastic" results.

"The senior gymnasts are polishing up their skills and routines in preparation for the national championships in October, while the junior gymnasts are looking forward to the annual team-gym display competition held at the Boys & Girls Gym Club."

The club has eight athletes who will represent Wanganui-Manawatu at the nationals, being joined by eight gymnasts from Palmerston North and one from Taihape.

These Wanganui gymnasts are:

Michaela Davey (trampoline); Troy Rea (Level 4); Amardin Firaza (Level 4); William Warburton (Level 4); Jonathan Maples (Level 7); Timara Wallace (Step 5); Genna Maples (Step 8); Millie Manning (Step 10).