GYM CLUB’S NEW HEIGHTS
More than 100 Wexford gymnasts just took part in the National Finals – and now several will train with the Irish team. Anna Hayes reports
A NUMBER of Wexford Gymnastics Club members have been invited to train with national squads after a particularly successful National Finals display.
In total, 109 gymnasts competed in National Finals across three disciplines – Artistic Gymnastics, Trampolining, and Acrobatic Gymnastics. The club had traditionally excelled in the latter disclipline so the teachers were thrilled with the results from the other categories.
Gym instructor Aisling Daly stressed that the club, which will celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, has grown considerably since moving into its premises in Coolcotts and they are always welcoming new members.
All of the events were held in the National Indoor Arena in Blanchardstown.
In the Women’s Artistic events, 37 competitors took part in the competition which asked participants to compete on four apparatus - bar, beam, floor and vault. Each category had up to 50 competitors.
In the Level 2A under-seven category, Robyn O’Reilly won an All-Around Bronze medal. In the U8 section, Mia Byrne (eighth), Karla Goff (12th), Nicole Krizsak (14th), Evie Farrell (15th), Faye O’Callaghan (17th) and Olivia Ponzi (18th) performed very well. In the U10 section, Fia Delaney, Emma Power and Muireann Murphy were fifth, 14th and 15th respectively.
At U11 competition, Amber McCleane, Sarah Kate Ryan and Fern Doyle were seventh, 10th and 12th respectively. In the final age group, Shannon Golden, Aimee Monahan and Aisling O’Brien were 15th, 17th and 18th respectively. In the Level 2B Over 11 category, Maria Fortune ranked 14th overall with team mate Emma Walsh in 15th.
In the Level 2C category, Evelyn Dunne came 11th in the under-nine category while Sophie Dempsey finished in fifth place. In the U10 category, Sara Cullen finished with a silver medal, while in the over-11 section, Aoife Kelly placed fourth overall. Roisin Flanagan won an All Around Gold medal at that age group.
In the Level 3 under-nine section, Lauren Dalton Baker, Kayla Walsh and Eimear Gough were 14th, 20th and 25th overall.
In the under-10 section, Laura Breen ranked 22nd, and in the under-12 section Ellie Whelan was fourth overall. At
Level 4, Grace Donnelly competed in the under-12 category and ranked 18th.
In the Plus Competition, which is for gymnasts aiming to reach national squad level, Adele Miller Younger finished 17 th in the under-six category. In the over-eight category, Aoife Gough,
Veda Hanley O’Leary and Alisha Doyle were seventh, 21st, and 22nd respectively. In the over-nine section, Lily Stewart, Ciara Roche, Somer Penwell and Alice Molloy Nolan were sixth, ninth, 15th and 18th.
As a result of these competitions, 15 gymnasts qualified for National Super Series Championships.
In the Men’s Artistic Competition, Evan Kelly competed at Level 3 and won the National Title. He competed in eight events on the day and his top five scores saw him claim the gold medal.
In the Trampolining finals, 15 gymnasts took part, bringing home five national titles, three silver medals, a bronze medallist and a number of other qualifiers.
Corey Lacey was the 13+ National Champion in the NDP5 contest. Louis Pinaqui was
the 13+ National Champion in the NDP4 event. In the girls 13+ NDP4 event, Brianne Doyle-Kidd took gold while Isabelle Walsh won silver. Becky Duggan won gold in the 11/12 NDP4 event while Katelyn McDermott was crowned National Champion in 13+ NDP2 competition. At the NDP1 13+ level, Chloe Morrissey won a silver medal. Anabelle Whitty finished in sixth position in this event.
In the NDP1 11/12 competition, Caithlyn Kelly won silver while Fleur Lambert took bronze. Cara Delaney finished in fourth with Orla Griffin in fifth. Amelia Doyle and Grace White also competed.
In the NDP8 9/10 event, Jodie Carroll finished in eighth place.
Wexford had several gymnasts selected for
the National Trampoline Squad – Louis Pinaqui, Corey Lacey, Christopher Wall, Becky Duggan and Isabelle Walsh.
In the National Acrobatic Finals, Wexford had 46 gymnasts taking part.
At Grade 1, Aoibhin Kelly and Aoife Bergin won silver while the second pair of Roisin Cary and Leah O’Brien finished in seventh. Men’s pair Scott Spellacy and Lydon Hayes won gold in their section.
At Grade 2, pairs Briann Carlyle and Alisha Doyle, and Ellie Whelan and Evelyn Dunne, along with the trio of Penny Whitty, Emma Walsh and Naomi Howlin competed well but missed out on medals. Aaron Byrne and Fia Delaney won the silver medal in the mixed pair competition.
In Grade 3, Katie Cullen and Sophie Dempsey came away with the bronze medal, while the two trios were Annabel Whitty, Chloe Paige Doyle and Ella Scanlon (11th), and Niamh Dunphy, Niamh Fielding and Amber McCleane (13th place).
In Grade 4, Hannah Cleere, Alice Molloy-Nolan and Lien Campbell won gold. Two of the club’s pairs, Abbie Maher and Isabel Whelan, and Claire O’Brien and Roisin Flanagan finished in joint fourth.
At Grade 5 level, Aoife Power and Aoife Gough won silver while the trio of Aoife McGrath, Aoibh Webster and Caithlyn Kelly finished in fourth place.
At the next level, the trio of Egle Baikaite, Orla Butler and Lily Stewart just missed out on a podium finish.
In the international FIG age categories, the club had two trios competing in the 11 to 16 age group. Shauna Reck, Lauren Kelly and Rachel Power missed out on medals but the bronze medal was won by Becky Duggan, Willow Hayes and Caitlin Finnegan.
The highest level competed in was the 12 to 18 age group where Kirstin Brennan and Aoife White not only took gold but also won the trophy for Highest FIG Execution score. The girls have been invited to train with the National Acrobatics squad.
The competitions acted as a qualification for the Super Series Championships which were held recently and saw all Wexford qualifiers performing very well, coming home with great results and medals.