NEWS PHOTO SEAN ROONEY - Devyn Crane of Salta Gymnastics performs her floor routine during the Alberta Compulsory Championships Friday at the Cypress Centre.
srooney@medicinehatnews.com@MHNRooney
All season long, Chelsia Cooper and Deija Gehring have pushed each other, with the results to prove it.
The two Medicine Hat gymnasts were again on top of the leaderboard Friday night as the Alberta Compulsory Championships began at the Cypress Centre Pavilion.
“Sometimes we do our routines, we try to score each other,” said Gehring, 9, when asked how competitive they are.
Cooper took the all-around with 38.074 points in a field of 48 athletes, though Gehring was less than a tenth away with 37.941 to take second. That was despite having a couple falls on balance beam.
Unsurprisingly, they’re both on the verge of moving up to Level 4.
“In three weeks she’s not at this level anymore,” said coach Rebecca Schmal. “She does two different routines every day in different events. They’re both going to do very well (at the next level).”
Hometown kids were in the medals as Junior Olympic Level 3 athletes took centre stage on the first day of the inaugural competition. Level 4 athletes go all day Saturday, then Level 5’s on Sunday morning.
Salta’s Sonya Reid won her age division with 37.458 points, including an impressive 9.583 on beam. The shy 9-year-old was in a field of 27 and was fourth overall when Gehring and Cooper’s group was included.
“I have more confidence,” said Reid, who added a round-off back handspring to her floor routine within the past month. “It was a different floor. It was bouncier.”
The late session saw Jordis Barabe of Salta win her age group’s all-around with 37.750 points, and teammates Devyn Crane (fourth), Bree Hurlburt (fifth) and Stephanie Dunudenu (eighth) not far behind. Sophie Foote was fourth in her group, which was won by Pegasus athlete Una Lakic with a 37.824 score.
