Gymnastics: North team facing high bar at champs

A large team of Northland gymnasts are hoping for success at the Gymsports National Championships in Blenheim starting tomorrow.

It's the end of the road for the 10 young athletes who have been preparing for the opportunity to impress at the national level since they started their season in May.

Whangarei Academy of Gymnastics (WAGS) coach Vicki McDonald said the gymnasts had all qualified at different competitions in Auckland over the season and now had it all ahead of them.

"They've all worked very hard to get ready for this competition and all we can ask is they perform this week like they do at training and I'll be very happy."

Hopes are high but the level of competition will be fierce and with only four of the gymnasts having attended nationals before, some of the contingent are sure to find the step up difficult.

"But we're hoping they'll all do their best and do well because they're all so talented and they've been very committed by training four days a week," McDonald said. Sophia Cosson, Maia Prochazka, Claire Fuller from WAGS will compete in Step 5, along with Kerikeri's Aimee Leaming and Jessie Tunnicliffe.

Pippa Benton was promoted to level six this year and still managed to qualify for nationals so much is expected of her. The other WAGS girls are Kaitlyn Agnew in Step 7 and Hannah Russell in Step 8.

Northland has two boys in the team with Kerikeri's Thomas Pearson and Kaitaia's Andrew Van der Linden competing in Level 4 over the next four days.

Van der Linden and Russell - the most experienced of the girls - will be the Northland flagbearers at the opening ceremony.