The Norfolk Academy
of Gymnastics
Unit 10
Rookery Business Park
Silver Street
Besthorpe
Attleborough
NR17 2LD
T: 01953 453309
Email: info@tnag.co.uk
A TRULY HISTORIC DAY FOR TNAG AT REGIONALS
12/10/2009
A Truly Historic Day for the Norfolk Academy – Regional Out of Age levels 4-2
With eight gymnasts taking part across three levels the Norfolk Academy was certainly one of the best represented clubs on show at the regional out of age levels finals for levels 4, 3 and 2. And, walking away with three all around champions and a massive haul of seventeen medals it can justifiably claim to have had its most successful day ever!
The level 4 and 3 gymnasts had qualified for this event by virtue of their dominant performances at the Norfolk Championships back in September but knew they would be facing much stiffer competition at the regional finals.
Starting the day was the level 4 10-11 years age group with TNAG represented by Charlotte Taylor, Melissa Brown and Georgia Bunn. The girls looked strong and classy with just unfortunate falls from Charlotte and Georgia on beam, and a few small errors from Melissa, keeping them out of the very top places. Charlotte put together a strong set of scores to total 44.65 which placed her 5th overall. Without the fall from beam (and including the beam bonus she would thus have been awarded) Charlotte would have won the event. Well done to her, Georgia (8th) and Melissa (9th) who will all have gained in experience from the event.
The second round showcased the level 4 12-13 years age group and here the TNAG show really got going! Shyla Norkett, Sienna Sprong and Grace Ashworth immediately looked three of the strongest gymnasts in the field and began with beautifully flowing bar routines; Grace showing that a basic bar routine when done as cleanly and precisely as she does, can score very well (11.4) and Sienna one of the few gymnasts at the level to giant well, got her campaign off to a great start with 11.9. Beam is, more often than not, the defining piece in any close competition and this is particularly the case in the levels system where a clean routine with all of the requirements fulfilled gains an extra half mark in bonus points. All three TNAG girls had the required acro series; very few of the rest of the field did. Shyla was first up and, trailing her team mates slightly after bars, she knew she needed a strong routine. She coped with the pressure of the occasion impeccably well, as is almost always the case with Shyla, and hardly wobbled throughout her routine which included a beautifully linked backward walkover – flick series. Her score of 12.55 put her firmly in the driving seat. Sienna and Grace both suffered falls but showed hugely classy and impressive work during the rest of their routines and stayed in the medal hunt even despite their errors. The TNAG trio were massively impressive on floor with Sienna in particular drawing in the crowd and judges alike with her beautifully performed routine for 12.2 and finished their competition with safe and solid handspring vaults.
The results were eagerly awaited and could not have been better for the TNAG contingent! The Academy achieved its first ever regional clean sweep. Grace Ashworth took bronze (44.90), Sienna Sprong silver (45.65) and Shyla Norkett the gold (46.20) to take her first ever regional title and trophy. She adds this to her Norfolk title from September and is truly a gymnast that hits her routines when it counts. The girls were not done yet. The apparatus medals for the level were awarded taking into account the scores from the 10-11, 12-13 and 14 plus age categories and the Academy girls featured on all pieces. Sienna won bronze on vault, and took double gold for bars and floor. Grace picked up a bronze for her bars and Shyla gold for her beam performance. The dominance of the TNAG gymnasts in this competition was show stopping and all three girls should be very proud. They must all move up to level 3 next year on the basis of their scores, as must Charlotte, and all have the skills to threaten at that higher level too.
The level 3 and 2 competitions had smaller fields and Polina Polyakova (level 3 11-12yrs) and Sarah Kett (level 2 14 plus), both of whom had suffered from flu for a week prior to the event had not had the best of preparation. Both showed their class though with solid and assured performances; the hours of training earlier on paying off. Polina faced particularly tough competition from the Huntingdon gymnast in her working group who pushed her every step of the way, almost matching her for difficulty and stability. Polina had experienced problems with her vault in practice but managed to keep her tsukahara on her feet in the competition to open with 12.2. Good, but behind the Huntingdon girls who showed stronger vaults. It was probably on bars that Polina put in her best performance, losing only 1.2 from her 3.7 start score for a superbly controlled bar routine, scoring 12.5. Polina is generally a solid performer on the beam and remained so with only a couple of minor wobbles in her very demanding routine to score a massive 13.05. Her delightful “Kalinka” floor routine brought her competition to a fitting end with a perfect blend of testing tumbles and beautiful dance work for 12.25. Her overall score of 50.00 was the highest of the day and gave her overall old at her level for the second year running. She also took three individual golds for her bar, beam and floor routines. Polina has been a class act at levels 4 and 3 these past two years and has had much deserved success. However, now she must step up and face an entirely new challenge – that of elite gymnastics and the British Championships as she faces her compulsory grade 2 test at Aldershot in November to fight for the right to compete at the British Espoir championships next year. There is no doubt that Polina is up for the challenge!
Sarah was the only competitor in the level 2 14 plus section but faced a tough battle against herself and her less than full health to get through the competition. She showed a strong flighty tsukahara vault, a solid beam and a bouncy floor routine without major faults, and covered her only mistake, on the bars, very well. She was the worthy winner of the gold medal and trophy and picked up apparatus medals too (awarded across both level 2 age groups) bronze on vault and bars, silvers on beam and floor. Sarah has grown in stature and maturity this year and is at last enjoying a period free of injury. She can now start building her difficulty for the challenges ahead. A huge well done to all of the competitors at this event and an equally big thank you to the girls and parents who came along to support the whole team – the fantastic support given was unequalled and played no small part in the overall success. We now turn attention to the Bill Slater team members for the British Club Team championships in Newcastle on 25th October. The team representing the Norfolk Academy at that prestigious event is as follows:- Sarah Kett, Summer-Jade Kenzitt, Angel Kenzitt, Bethany Harmer, Polina Polyakova and Emily Crowe. Good luck girls, keep the good results coming!
