Prince George showed this weekend (Jan. 24-26) why they have some of the best gymnasts in the province.
The local Gymnastics Club sent 25 athletes to the Aviva Winterfest in Coquitlam, the first meet of the 2020 season, and brought back 21 medals including five gold, 11 silver and five bronze.
Junior Olympic (J.O.) 10-level gymnast Alia Wilson racked up three individual medals, going for gold on the uneven bars and nabbing a silver floor-exercise.
The 17-year-old landed a silver on the all-around podium after finishing fifth on vault and on the balance beam.
J.O. Eight competitor Kaylee Oberg also added three medals to her collection with gold in vault and silver on the uneven bars.
The 16-year-old claimed second-place all-around as well, which included fourth on the balance beam and sixth in floor exercise.
The lone all-around gold went to Marissa Hawkes in the J.O. Six (2010-11) category; she finished fourth on vault and uneven bars while going sixth on balance beam and floor exercise.
Other all-around medallists were Emery Kerr, second in J.O. Seven, and Arianna Vukovic, second in J.O. Six (2009).
Rounding out Prince George’s 21 medals from Winterfest are as follows:
- Sadie Bricker = J.O. Eight Silver, vault and floor exercise
- Emery Kerr = J.O. Seven Silver, vault; Bronze, floor exercise
- Hanna Piddocke J.O. Seven Silver, balance beam; Bronze, vault
- Ayla Wilbur = J.O. Six Gold, balance beam
- Arianna Vukovic = J.O. Six Gold, uneven bars
- Morgan McLachlan = J.O. Six Silver, balance beam; Bronze, floor exercise
- Sophia Schwab = J.O. Six Bronze, uneven bars
- Kate Patrick = J.O. Six Silver, floor exercise
- Hannah Robinson = J.O. Six Bronze, floor exercise
The club will now get back to the gym to prepare for the next meet of the season, slated for Valentine’s Day weekend, Feb. 14-16, for the Christy Fraser Invitational in Langley.
It’ll likely serve as a final tune-up for Kaydence Bellerive, Maija Coleman, Emery Kerr and Delaney Soares, who all qualified for the 2020 B.C. Winter Games in Fort St. John.
