Dave Leaderhouse
Herald Staff
The Prince Albert Aerials Gymnastics Club is spreading its wings and already they are reaching new heights.
After holding a pre-competitive class for male gymnasts last year, the Aerials opted to enter the group in a provincial-level competitive division for artistic gymnastics and the early results are very positive.
“I’m really pleased with the talent level here,” says Bryce Elliott, one of the club’s coaches who recently took the local gymnasts to their first-ever meet in Regina. “It went really well and overall, I’m really excited and can’t wait until the next one.”
The group presently has seven members ranging in age from six to 11 years old. They train three times a week on six different apparatus: floor, pummels, vault, parallel bars, high bar and rings.
There is no specialization in any one event at this age level so all competitors must work on all of the disciplines and that work paid off with some great results.
In the over-10 age class, Jessie Georget, who is the lone Prince Albert competitor in this division, won six medals and was named the top overall gymnast for that group.
In the under-10 category, Billy Georget finished second in vaults and parallel bars and was third in the high bar to claim the third-place overall award. Ethan Regnier was first in vault, third in floor and third in parallel bars and Carter Boden had fourth-place results in the parallel bars and floor exercises.
For several years the Aerials have been a dominant team in the provincial female artistic competitions, but they never had anyone competing in the male artistic competitions.
That has all changed and by the time the local group next enters a competition, which is Mar. 2-3 at the High Noon Optimist Centre in Prince Albert, they will be that much better.
Already regarded as one of the top gymnastic clubs in the province, having a male component only makes them that much stronger.
