OLDS — Six local gymnasts are heading to provincials this week and 19 are going to the Xcel championships in May after strong performances in the Imagine Gymnastics Club’s (IGC) Hay City meet in Olds.
The provincials will be held April 4-7 in Calgary and the Xcel Championships will take place in St. Albert May 9-12.
IGC head coach Michelle Jaffray says her club did really well in the recent qualifying Hay City meet.
Of the 46 IGC athletes who participated, 17 obtained first-place event medals, 23 got second place event medals and 15 received third-place event medals.
Six IGC gymnasts were declared first place overall champions.
They were Ava Israelson, Kyla Ball and Ally Schawb, Xcel gold; Carmen Watson and Ruby Ebelher, level 6; as well as Aubree Foley, Xcel silver.
Five IGC athletes were declared second place overall champions.
They were Penny Symes, level 7; Salayna Rajapask, Xcel gold; Megan Grisack and Serena Sales, Xcel platinum; and Hailey Roes, Xcel silver.
Four IGC gymnasts were declared third overall champions.
They were Harper Chernesky, Level 7; Liv Webb and Gracie Jordan, Xcel gold; and Ellory Toley, Xcel silver.
Jaffray said different athletes qualify for different competitions.
For example, levels 6 and 7 are in a competitive program, whereas those in, for example, Xcel bronze or silver are in a different division.
“We did quite well this competition,” Jaffray said during an interview with the Albertan. “Better than in previous years.”
“All the girls are getting better.”
Jaffray attributed those better results to improved confidence.
“I would say better confidence actually because they're getting a little bit older and they kind of show off their routines a little bit more,” she said.
More than 650 athletes from across Alberta competed in the Hay City meet, down from about 700 who took part last year.
However, it attracted about 5,000 spectators, up about a thousand from last year, Jaffray estimated.
“It was just nonstop, which was awesome,” she said. “It's exciting.”
