Excellent warm-up for Singapore

Wanganui gymnast Millie Manning executes her silver winning moves on the beam at the National GymSports Championships in Auckland ahead of her Singapore trip next month. PHOTOS/ALPHAPIX

Wanganui gymnast Millie Manning showed she was nearing peak for her pending trip to Singapore with top performances at the National GymSports Championships in Auckland.

The 15-year-old was one of three athletes from the Wanganui Boys and Girls Gym Club to compete at the event in Auckland last week.

She was accompanied by the Maples siblings Genna (11) and Jonathan (13).

Coach Kelly Taylor-Ward said her team joined forces with athletes from Palmerston North to represent Wanganui-Manawatu at the championships.

The gymnasts all competed very well, they represented their region with pride and earned 15 top-10 placings and four medals.

In the women's step 9 competition, Manning was third in the all-around and qualified for all four apparatus finals earning a silver on the beam, bronze on the floor, fourth on the uneven bars and fifth on the vault.

In the step 7 division, Genna Maples was 10th in the all-around and qualified for two apparatus finals, finishing seventh on the uneven bars and fourth on the vault, just missing out on the bronze medal.

In the men's level 7 Under 14 division, Jonathan Maples finished fifth overall in a very tough competition and competed strongly in the apparatus finals, earning the bronze medal on the floor, fourth on vault, fifth on the rings and high bar sixth on the parallel bars and seventh on pommel.

"Make no mistake this was tough competition, especially Genna's step 7 events. Both Genna and Jonathan absolutely nailed their routines and what more can you ask as a coach," Taylor-Ward said yesterday. "And, of course, Millie is coming into form just at the right time with her trip to Singapore only weeks away. She will compete in the Singapore Prime Invitational next month.

"The gymnasts and their families would like to thank everyone who supported them and helped with their fundraising efforts to get to Auckland," she said.