Hot off several medal performances at last month's B.C. Winter Games, Prince George gymnasts hope to tumble to several more at provincials this weekend in Kamloops.
Eight gymnasts from the Prince George Gymnastics Club are competing at the 2014 Artistics Gymnastics B.C. championships in Canada's tournament capital.
"The team events had ups and downs [at the B.C. Winter Games in Mission] but their individual routines were awesome," said PGGC head coach Jenn Schwandt. "We have high expectations for provincials because they did so well. They had to qualify for the Winter Games so they have confidence going into B.C.'s."
Of the Prince George contingent competing this weekend in Kamloops, three of them medalled at the B.C. Winter Games - Alia Wilson (bronze on bars and floor), Naraa Little (bronze on beam) and Reid Powers (silver on floor).
Powers, a 14-year-old Grade 9 student at College Heights secondary, is competing in the Provincial Level 3 Open category in Kamloops.
A three-time provincial competitor, she won the B.C. all-around title in Level 2 Novice at the 2013 B.C. Artistic Gymnastic championship in Prince George.
The floor exercise involves a combination of choreography and tumbling in a 90-second routine.
"The silver on the floor [at the B.C. Winter Games] gives me a lot of confidence," she said. "Floor is my best event and I'm really happy how it went down. I like to perform and show off."
Little is competing in the Provincial Level 3 Novice category and will be going for a medal in the all-around event. The 13-year-old Grade 7 student at College Heights secondary finished sixth all-around at the B.C. Winter Games.
"Naraa is pretty equal on every event," said Schwandt. "And she has one of the most improved routines on the beam."
Wilson won the B.C. pre-novice title in Prince George a year ago. In Kamloops, the 11-year-old Grade 6 student at Immaculate Conception Catholic School is competing in Level 4 Tyro.
Mekenna Parker is a four-time provincial competitor and is competing in Level 3 Novice.
The vault is her best apparatus.
"It's a dynamic event," said the 13-year-old Grade 8 Duchess Park student. "My vault is a hand spring with a full twist and you have to have good pop as well as you have to stick the landing."
Rhiana Palfy counts her floor exercise as her best event and she'll compete in the Provincial Open Level 3 category.
The 14-year-old College Heights Grade 9 student helped her fellow Prince George gymnasts, part of the Zone 8 team, to fifth all-around at the B.C. Winter Games.
"Rhiana has a very nice floor routine," said Schwandt. "She did really well at the Winter Games and she had a lot of confidence going in."
Anna MacDonald was also part of the same B.C. Winter Games Zone 8 team and is competing in Provincial Level 4 Open in Kamloops.
She said vault and beam are her best events, and she won silver on the vault at provincials last year in Prince George and finished eighth overall.
Colbey Simunac, a 12-year-old Grade 7 student at St. Mary's Catholic school, hopes his 10th place finish on the floor at the B.C. Winter Games translates into success at provincials.
"Floor is my best event, it's a lot of tumbling and I've landed a back-tuck so it gives me a lot of confidence," he said.
Simunac will compete in the Level 3 U13 boys event at provincials.
Schwandt has witnessed major progress in her charges this year, which bodes well for this weekend.
"Everyone has improved from last year," she said. "They have high hopes, they're stronger mentally. It definitely helped having B.C.'s here last year."
