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Twisters gymnasts win gold at Eastern Canadian Championship

May 18, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Pickford

Two members of the Twisters Gymnastics Club have made their mark in high level competition returning with gold medals for their efforts.

Brooke Rutledge and Victoria Burgess competed in the Eastern Canadian Championships as members of Team Ontario in Sackville, New Brunswick on May 6-7.

The competition pitted teams from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Nova Scotia

Both girls won gold in team competition.

Victoria is a member of the Novice 7 Team Ontario which finished in first place in competition.

She finished sixth overall in the individual standings.

Brooke is a member of the Novice 8 team that finished in the top spot to claim the gold medal.

Brooke also finished with top marks overall and was awarded the gold medal for her individual performance.

During the event competitors vie in the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor routine.

To qualify for the Ontario championships the girls had to enter three qualifying events and place in the top four in their age group in the Province. Both girls are 14 years old.

Victoria’s team competed on Saturday, May 6, and the Novice 8 team with Brooke took the floor on Sunday, May 7.

The team scores are a combined total of all gymnast scores on a team. Each gymnast’s personal score during their routines are tallied for the individual scores at the end of competition.

This was Brooke’s second trip to the Eastern Canadian Championships.

“I went to the Championship in 2015. It was a little nerve wracking because I had never travelled with a team before. But it was exciting,” she said of her first trip to the competition.

The Centennial Hylands Elementary School student has been involved in gymnastics since age six and started competing when she was just seven years old.

Her second trip to the Championships meant she had a little more experience when it was her turn to compete.

“I wasn’t necessarily easier, but I knew what was coming. I knew what to expect,” Brooke said of entering the 2017 event. “The goal is to hit four for four. I didn’t fall and was doing my best so I knew I was doing well.”

Hitting ‘four for four’ means making it through each of the four events without a mistake such as falling off the beam.

Once the competition was over Brooke

had to wait for the final results.

“I wasn’t sure if I was first, second, or third. Then they announced the names and I realized I was first when they said the names for third and second.”

Brooke enjoys the sport and is looking to get even better in the coming years.

“I love how it’s challenging. You keep trying to beat your last year.”

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