To the Manor born for Hope gymnasts
GYMNASTICS
THE Northern Women’s Bowling Association’s annual challenge match took place at Westerhope Bowling Club.
Teams from Northumberland and Durham took part, Northumberland retaining the trophy with a 81-72 victory.
The match was shortened to 15 ends due to bad weather, North leading 31-18 after five ends and 55-45 after 10. ■■FELLING CC have resigned from the North East Midweek Cricket League with immediate effect.
The decision was taken due to the Tyneside club losing a significant number of players who work shifts. ■■FOREST Hall FC are seeking players for their over-40 team for 2017-18.
Anyone interested should contact Tim on 07725 597 008. ■■NEWCASTLE United Foundation’s powerchair team has benefitted from funding from the charity’s partnership with the Premier League and BT.
Two second-hand Storm power chairs have been purchased to give more attendees the chance to play football.
The chairs will benefit the North East WFA Championship League team as well as the Foundation’s weekly coaching sessions, which take place every Thursday at Percy Hedley from 4.30 to 6.00. ■■SACRISTON won the National Village Cup’s Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear Group Two Regional Final with a nine-wicket win over Wolviston.
Wolviston made 85, Sacriston replying with 86-1. ■■THE Northumberland and Tyneside Senior League defeated the Northumberland League by 91 runs in the Under-21 InterLeague Competition.
Batting first, the NTSL amassed 202-7 and then bowled out the NCl for 111. ■■PHILADELPHIA take on Esh Winning tonight in the Readers Durham Cricket League’s Roy Coates Cup. ■■CRAMLINGTON-based JB Motors has thrown its weight behind local rugby league side Cramlington Rockets with a double sponsorship deal.
The Rockets’ under-10s and under-12s have already started the season with the JB Motors logo emblazoned on their strips.
JB has also signed up to be a corporate partner for the Rockets’ community department, contributing towards promotional materials for the various activities offered by the club across Northumberland. ■■SNOOKER, junior ice hockey, and latest league cricket action in Grassroots tomorrow night. THE British Schools Gymnastics Finals were held at Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke-on-Trent - and three local youngsters did the North East proud.
Lucy McKenna from Sunderland’s Monkwearmouth Academy won gold and claimed the title of British Schools’ under-14 tumbling champion.
Ellie Laverick and Josh Smirk from Birtley’s Lord Lawson School secured bronze in the under-14 mixed pairs acro.
The trio all train at Northern Hope Gymnastics Club in Birtley.
Children from all around the country as well as Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Channel Islands travelled to the Potteries to compete.
The regional heats for the competition were held at Northern Hope in February for both tumbling and acro.
Qualifiers for the national final in tumbling were McKenna, Dempsey McGeogh (Oxclose), Smirk and Imogen Atkinson (Greencroft).
In acro, qualifers were Smirk and Laverick and Jada Langley and Anna McNeil (both Lambton Primary).
In addition to this triple slice of glory, Hope also enjoyed success at the National Development Pathway Championships.
At the North of England Regional Championships, 14 tumblers went through to the regional team finals and national semi-finals.
These will take place this weekend at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham.
The gymnasts who have qualified are Chloe Gray (12), Kody Langley(13), Smirk (12), William Nicholson (13), Grace Brown (13), Brooke Kincaid (10), Maddie Burrows (10), Paris Wells (8), Lucy McKenna (12), Ky Moore (13), Alex Brown (12), Isaac Dodd (9), Eleanor Walmsley(13) and Rebekah Davies (13).
All 14 are competing for places in the final.
Hope also had a mixed pair qualify for the NDP final in acro at level two, Smirk and Laverick for the second year in a row in the company of the best acrobats in the country.
The artistic section also competed in the NDPs and had 16 gymnasts bidding for regional grades.
Imogen Atkinson, Amie DavisonHayton and Hope Tong won team silver at grade five level and Hope took fourth overall.
Rosie Field was third and Sadie Watson fifth overall in grade four while in grade three McKenna was fourth and Natalia Hughes sixth overall.
They secured team gold along with Grace Hewitt and Grace Brown.
Hope caters for all ages and abilities in four disciplines - acro, artistic, team gym and tumbling.
Head coach Lynn Hope was delighted with the club’s latest successes.
She said: “The club is moving upwards and we are very proud of our young gymnasts.
“Myself and the other coaches here cannot wait to see what our amazing gymnasts will do next.”