Southern success for super Suki

The Gosport aerobic club gymnasts made the short trip up the road to Fareham Leisure Centre on Saturday, March 11 for the first event of the year.

It was also the first of the new Olympic cycle, meaning a new set of rules and skills.

Suki gymnasts and coaches have worked hard to be prepared for this year’s competition and this paid off with the results achieved.

Regional gymnasts stepped up and first-time competitor Katie Sutton finished third in the age-nine category.

Moving through the ages, Harmony Hamid competed her routine in the nine-to-11 year category finishing fourth overall and missing the bronze medal by 0.05.

In the nine to 11 pair category Suki had three routines.

Erin Buick and Jasmine Taylor finished in first place with 14.75, with team-mates Naeesha Santos and Milly Searle third, while Hamid and Lucy Tabb took fourth place.

Suki’s brand new group routine, performed by Emma Merchant-Locke, Milly Jones, Jessica Howlett and Lily Giles saw them finish first in the 12-to-14 year group category with Lily competing for the first time.

Paige Clarke competed in the 15-to-17 year category and finished third overall.

Finishing off our regional team Amanda Ebbutt was first overall with a score of 13.453 in the senior individual female category.

Next it was the national level gymnasts competing, starting off with Lucie Emmett who competed for the first time in the nine-to-11 category.

She stepped up well and finished fourth overall, narrowly missing the bronze medal by 0.1.

Suki’s 12-to-14 age group showed their talent. Tyesha Kirton and Freya Meachen finished second overall in the pair category with their new routine.

Eleanor Meachen competed for the first time at the national level after moving up from the regional level.

With a new routine she finished fifth overall, with a final score of 15.35.

Team-mate Tyesha Kirton, also with a new routine, finished fourth overall with 15.55 and Jasmine Welsh took the title in her first competition at this age group. She also received the trophy for achieving the highest national score in the southern region with 16.5.

Josie Vassie, who also had a brand new routine, and everyone within the regional and national team can be truly proud of the progress.

The international gymnasts stepped up to finish the competition.

For Molly Feltham and Caitlin Downing this was a new experience having moved up from national level.

Annis Buick finished fifth overall and team-mate Taylor Townley, competing for the first time in the senior category, picked up the bronze medal.

The next competition for the Suki team is the Cardiff Open in May.