ST. PAUL - The St. Paul Gymnastics Club had 10 athletes compete in Edmonton over the Mother's Day weekend in the club's first ever out-of-town competition.
The competition was hosted by Capital City Gymnastics.
While the St. Paul club has held annual meets in town for its own gymnasts to participate in, the organization has never competed with gymnasts from other clubs or other gyms, says Andrea Hall, events coordinator with the gymnastics club.
All of the St. Paul athletes place in the top eight in at least one event at the Edmonton competition, and the club also earned five podium finishes.
"We are excited to be going to Wainwright for another competition on Father's Day weekend," says Hall.
The athletes are being coached by Tana Arcand and Makayla Scrannage.
"Our goals going into this competition were much bigger than the podium - to remember routines, not being distracted with judges, cheering, a crowd - our athletes more than rose to the challenge," says Hall.
"They had to adjust to different equipment including a spring floor, which is something our club is working toward to be able to expand our competitive program in coming years," she adds.
The competitive environment is also a new experience for parents, learning about event rotations, scoring and awards, says Hall.
"The day was filled with proud moments for sure - not just knowing where we started as a club, but watching our kids cheer on athletes from other clubs when they were called for awards - our community should be proud," says Hall.
Athletes who competed include: Cecilia Thornton, Bailey Sloan, Aubrielle Doonanco, Maelle Looy, Scarlett Guay, Iya Hall, Soryn Hal, Haylee Meger, Emma Rae, and Kara Holgate.
