There were highlights aplenty when eight gymnasts from the Gunnedah Gymnastics Centre contested the NSW Levels 5-7 state championships at the Sydney Gymnastics and Aquatic Centre at Rooty Hill last weekend.
The collective medal tally was 10 gold, 13 silver and four bronze; an amazing achievement for a small country club in a field of 480 of the state’s best gymnasts.
The Gunnedah gymnasts finished in the top eight placings in their respective levels, with each of them bringing home overall or individual apparatus medals.
In division 3 of Level 5, the local girls scooped the pool in the overall standings to claim all three major placings.
Kate Randall was the NSW state champion in this session, taking gold in the all-around.
With a stylish and very consistent performance, she added gold on vault (9.60), gold on bars (9.35), gold on beam (9.45) and silver on floor (9.25) to her medal collection in the individual apparatus stakes.
These achievements made Kate the most successful gymnast of the entire weekend.
Ava Willoughby achieved the silver medal, and also claimed a silver on vault with an impressive score of 9.55 while also picking up a bronze medal on beam.
The third member of the ‘fabulous fives’ in this session was Hadley Durrant, who claimed the bronze medal in the all-around and another bronze on beam.
Kate and Ava’s combined scores propelled them into the gold medal position in the City versus Country competition.
It is rare for one club to claim all of the major placings in any level at a state championship, and speaks highly of the overall standard and consistency of these girls.
Lilah Edmunds competed in Level 5 division 2, and placed sixth in the overall rankings.
A quality performance on bars (9.475) enabled her to be the silver medallist in this event, and she also secured the silver medal in the City versus Country competition.
Mia Geddes was the all-around silver medallist in her division, and she was also a silver medallist in the City versus Country team event.
Mia scored 9.90 out of a possible 10 in the first of her two competition vaults, much to the delight of the crowd.
On her second attempt Mia pulled out all stops to post an unbeatable 10, and the crowd went wild as the score appeared on the big screen.
Coaches from across the state and officials at the competition congratulated Mia on her result, all querying her ‘secret’ technique that enabled her to perform at such an astonishing level.
Mia joined an elite group of Gunnedah gymnasts to achieve this incredible feat.
In National Level 6, Ruby Cygan achieved silver in the all-around by the narrowest of margins.
A mere 0.025 separated the gold and silver medallists.
Being the second-last gymnast to perform her final routine, Ruby put in a mighty effort to claim the gold medal on bars with 9.45 after previously securing the silver medal on vault and silver in the City versus Country championships.
Kelly Briggs ranked fifth overall in Level 7, claiming gold on vault and silver on floor.
Mikayla Ferguson ranked eighth overall in her division, and brought home gold on vault and silver on beam.
Kelly and Mikayla claimed another silver medal in the City versus Country team event.
The gymnasts will be joined by their Level 3 and 4 teammates in preparing for the NSW Country Championships in Newcastle in early October.
