May 2010

Three teams from Scarborough Gymnastics Academy travelled to Gloucester to compete in the British National Team Gym Championships 2010. All three teams qualified to compete in the British finals after their successful performances at the Northern Qualifiers in March.

The teams had the opportunity of podium training the evening before the competition which was fantastic as it enabled the gymnasts to adjust to the equipment prior to the competition, which overall made the teams more confident and prepared on the day.

The first competition of the day was the Primary girl's competition for gymnasts aged between 9 and 12 years. The Scarborough Sparkles were up against tough competition from seven other top qualifying teams from throughout the country, the majority of the teams coming from the South. Scarborough were representing the North in this section along with and Crewe and Nantwich. Members the Scarborough Sparkles were Caitlin Frith (11), Abigail Catherall (12), Coral Rose (11), Ellis Miller (10), Megan Coates (11), Anna Sweeney (11), Evie Storr (10), Jessica Roger (10), Tilly Grunwell (9), Freya Storr (9).

The large competition arena along with the competition formalities as the national anthem signalling the start of the competition created a massive buzz in the arena. The Scarborough Sparkles had a fantastic day, performing confidently and consistently throughout. The team started their competition with their trampette routine; this involved six gymnasts performing two separate twisting somersaults from the trampette & one twisting vault using the trampette. The team performed really well landing all their elements and scored 7.15 and earning 3rd place on this apparatus.

The sparkles then moved on to perform their tumble routine, which they encountered a couple of technical errors, scoring 6.50. The routine included six gymnasts performing three separate tumbles in quick succession. The tumbles included performing twisting and multiple somersaults in various shapes, and using different directions. The unfortunate errors made the team more determined showing their fantastic team spirit and sparkling for the remainder of the competition.

The team concluded their competition with the group floor routine, which was flawless and received a massive applause from the audience. The team managed to score a fantastic 7.60 which secured 2nd place on this piece of apparatus.

The competition was extremely close, the Sparkles came an amazing second place overall in Great Britain. The new Sparkles team were awarded their first British medal which is very difficult to achieve. Their score of 21.25 was only 0.15 behind the Champions – Portsmouth which shows the Sparkles enthusiasm, hard work and team effort paid off. This result was a fantastic for not only Scarborough but for the whole Northern region as Crewe & Nantwich were awarded 3rd place and usually the Southern teams dominate the British medal positions.

The Junior girls team were next to compete, the team of 14 members between 12 and 15 were representing the North alongside Crewe & Nantwich & Newcastle. The Scarborough All Stars faced additional strong competition from the seven other qualifying teams from the South. The Scarborough All Stars consisted of the following members, Amber Atkinson (15), Megan Richardson (15), Millie Bell (15), Zoe Pindar (14), Cana Machen (15) Bobbie Moorhouse (14). Rebecca Lockwood (15). Megan Woodward-Hay (14), Molly Owenson (13), Bethany Morley (13), Beate Richings (13) Amber Wilson (13), Jo Pattison (12) & Niamh Sweeney (12).

The All Stars opened their competition with their tumble routine. The team who were performing increasingly difficult skills did extremely well, earning them a brilliant score of 7.55. The team had been working really hard and learnt new skills which had increased their tariffs ready for the British competition.

The team moved on to perform their re-choreographed floor routine which showed lots of exciting formations and dynamic changes. The routine was performed with lots of energy, style and enthusiasm although there was one minor error although this didn't greatly reflect in the team's score. The excellent teamwork throughout the routine earned the All Stars a score of 7.60, placing the All Stars a fantastic 3rd place on floor.

Lastly the team competed their trampette routine which included increasingly difficult twists up to 2 ½ in a straight shape and 1 ½ twists from the vault. The team executed the routine with confidence, good technique & excellent teamwork, earning them a score of 7.35.

The tension was high throughout the competition and the All Stars were rewarded for their flawless routines with an outstanding 3rd place overall with a score of 22.50. This is the clubs first British Medal in the junior section which showed the All Stars talent shone through on the day. This also proved that the North is now a definite contender against the South with Crewe taking 2nd place behind the champions Portsmouth.

The Scarborough Senior National Womens team were next to compete, the small team of 7 members aged 17 and over were up against very strong competition from the other Northern & Southern teams. This is the first time the club have had a Senior Women's team compete in the British Championships. Team members are: Alex Moorhouse, Hannah Bishop, Nicola Walker, Kadie Walker, Sarah Hoff, Meg Locker & Aimee Walker.

The team performed consistently on all pieces of apparatus with a few errors but lots of new skills in their routines which boosted the tarrif. The new senior team were aiming at learning from the competition experience in preparation for the future and secured 6th place. The team really enjoyed the competition experience and have gained lots of ideas for their progression in the future.

Team Coach Evy Walker said "This is the fifth year Scarborough Gymnastics Academy have entered & qualified for the British Team Gym Championships. The National competition is the ultimate focus of all the gymnasts in their training and preparation throughout the year. All the teams have made great improvements since last year and SGA's recent move to the specialist gymnastics facility on Barry's Lane is now showing in the gymnasts increased skill level and self-belief. Although Nikii & I have every confidence in the gymnast's ability and performance, we knew we were up against tough competition from all the Southern teams as well as the other teams from the North. This is the club's biggest achievement to date, to have three Scarborouh teams represented in the British National Team Gym Championships and for two teams to medal is such an outstanding achievement. The results from this competition are fantastic and it's something for everyone to be proud of. Well done to the gymnasts who took part, thanks to all the parents and supporters who were fantastic and to the SGA coaching team who have worked hard with the teams increasing their skill levels and preparing them for this important National event. This is a great result for Scarborough, Yorkshire and the North, and puts Scarborough firmly on the gymnastics map as an ongoing contender at a British National Level"

"The next competition for all the SGA squads is the Newcastle Open Championships in July and the possibility of the All Stars competing in the European Team Gym Cup later in the year.

Team Coach Evy Walker said “There was a great team ethic on the day and Scarborough were well represented on the day with 44 competing gymnasts. “A big well done to everyone who took part” The next team gym competition for both qualifying National squads is the British Championships which is in Gloucester in Mayl”

Scarborough Sparkles Primary National Team:
From Scarborough: Megan Coates, Coral Rose, Abigail Catherall, Ellis Miller & Jessica Roger. From Whitby: Anna Sweeney & Evie Storr. From Pickering: Caitlin Frith.
Scarborough All Stars Junior National Team:
From Scarborough: Jo Pattison, Bobbie Moorhouse, Amber Atkinson, Megan Richardson, Megan Woodward-Hay, Molly Owenson, Bethany Morley, Beate Richings and Amber Rose Wilson. From Pickering: Millie Bell. From Bridlington: Cana Machen & Rebecca Lockwood. From York: Zoe Pindar. From Whitby: Niamh Sweeney.
Scarborough Senior National Womens Team:
From Scarborough: Alex Moorhouse, Hannah Bishop, Nicola Walker, Kadie Walker, Sarah Hoff. From Whitby: Meg Locker. From Leeds: Aimee Walker.