Success breeds success and this past weekend’s “BSG Invite” challenged gymnasts to “compete hard and claim high” rewards.

The 3rd Annual BGPBC-Bahamas Star Gymnastics Invitational which was hosted April 25-26, 2014 at The Source River Complex (formerly Bacardi Plant) on Bacardi Road has been dubbed “a successful affair”. Among the competing Bahamian teams were Freeport based, Grand Bahama Gymnastics Academy (“GBGA”) and Nassau based, BDT Flyers of Bahamas Dance Theatre (“BDT”), Nassau Nastics (“NN”) and host club, Bahamas Star Gymnastics (“BSG”).

High Flyers of Jamaica (“HF”) entered a team and became the first gymnasts from a neighboring Caribbean country to join in on the action. On hand to present medals were distinguished guests, Mr. Wellington Miller, president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, Mesdames Barbara Thompson and Nikita Thompson-Wells, president and treasurer respectively of the Gymnastics Federation of the Bahamas and Mr. Wilfred Jack, Castrol Brand Manager at Bay Street Garage, Platinum Sponsor for the event.

With the meet doubling in size since its first year, the meet organizers engaged two USA Gymnastics Level 10 certified judges from Illinois, Suzanne Carmona and Betty Axelson-McClelland, to officiate the meet or more than one hundred registrants. The judges served as clinicians at the free Coaches Clinic on Friday afternoon, and patterning after the same format of the prior years, they offered tips and techniques on mastering the USA Gymnastics Code of Points for the Junior Olympic Compulsory Program (Levels 1-5).

Team and All-Around Individual Awards:
Levels 1 – 4: Hotly Contested

All teams faced off in the Levels 1 – 3 and GBGA and NN held the show down in Level 4. In Level 1, the All-Around Individual Award was won by Gabriel “Gabby” Sauer of BSG (37.250 of 40) and the L1 Team Award was won by Grand Bahama Gymnastics Academy (74.1 of 80). GBGA was lead in scoring by Marissa Albury and Lila Cafferata.

Level 2’s All-Around Individual Award was captured by Markaria Moss of BSG (38.10 of 40) and the L2 Team Award was dominated by BSG. Leading Team BSG in scoring for the win were Markaria Moss and Soraya Halkitis who totaled 76.15 (of 80).

For Level 3, Zia Joos mounted the podium as the All-Around Individual scorer with 37.80 (of 40). Team BSG was dominated and won the L3 Team Award with contributions from Joos and Aniyah Pratt (75.5 of 80).

Level 4’s Christamarrah Brennen of NN won the Individual All-Around Award (34.850 of 40) ahead of GBGA’s Julia Mellor. Two scores were required to win team awards which allowed Brennen and teammate Kyla Rolle to be the sole qualifiers for the L4 Team Award winning by defaut with a score of 69 (of 80).

Levels Xcel and 5 – 9: Unchallenged

Team Nassau Nastics’ gymnasts were sole competitors in Levels 5 -9 as was Team Bahamas Star Gymnastics in the Xcel divisions. As a result, gymnasts competing in these divisions were default winners in the Team standings.

All-Around level winners from Nassau Nastics were Zoe Deveaux (L5), Zerline Johnson (L6), Sydney Wells (L7), Toneka Johnson (L8) and Simone Hall (L9). Tess Carter (Xcel-Gold) and Kasha Neilly and Cheyanne Powell (Xcel-Silver tied) were the All-Around winners for their respective categories for Bahamas Star Gymnastics.

(See Official Results for scores and other rankings).

Individual Apparatus Awards

Vault champions were Marissa Hield (L1-NN-9.2), Ryanna Higgs (L2-GBGA-9.45) and Candace Murphy (L3-BSG-9.60). Uneven Bars champions were Danielle Moore (L1-NN-9.50), Marissa Albury (L1-GBGA-9.50), Camryn McDonald (L2-GBGA-9.6) and Savannah Gardiner (L3-GBGA-9.60). Balance Beam champions were Kimoya Banks (L1-HF-9.60), Lauryn Clarke (L2-BSG-9.70) , Aniyah Pratt (L3-BSG-9.650) and Summer Sturrup (L3-BSG-9.650). Floor Exercise champions were Gabrielle “Gabby” Sauer (L1-BSG-9.70), Markaria Moss (L2-BSG-9.55) and Zia Joos (L3-BSG-9.60).

It is clear that competition between the clubs have intensified since the inception of the meet. GBGA is only in its second season since opening its doors in 2012 and are already a formidable foe. BDT Flyers, although competing only Floor Exercise and Vault, are churning out impressive scores. Nassau Nastics, the country’s oldest program, fielded gymnasts in all levels except Xcel. BSG, the host club who like GBBA have launched programs within the last 4 years, has drawn both local and international attention as a real contender in the levels they are currently competing.

BSG’s “Invitational” has proven critical in the expansion of the number of gymnastics participating in the sport. Finances deter many local gymnasts from competing at meets abroad. Atlantis Crown Gymnastics Invitational, sponsored by BSG and this “Invitational” together now provide athletes more opportunities to test their skills and measure their progress on home soil. The historical significance of these signature meets cannot be understated or undervalued. BSG and NN are the only clubs to have competed gymnasts overseas during the season and the international exposure certainly was obvious in the scores and victories claimed, locally and abroad by Team BSG.

High Flyer’s head coach, Nadeen Whyte, in a testimonial issued regarding the event encouraged Bahamians to “continue to build Champions”. Whyte and many of her Caribbean counter-parts are supporting the launch of Carifta Gymnastics. Team chaperone of the High Flyers team, Charmaine Gray, also praised BSG meet organizers for being “very professional, most accommodating and fair - NUFF Respect!!!”

“Gymnastics in this country was in a state of complacency and hit a recharge when BSG opened its doors in 2010. With GBGA adding to the mix in 2012, the machinery is operating at throttle speed”, observed meet organizers. “We are looking forward to the years leading into the future Olympiads when national team spots will be earned by contested skills rather than by default. The sport and gymnasts will benefit from the higher degree of competition”. Clinics such as those hosted in April by both the Gymnastics Federation of the Bahamas and BSG offer coaches the tools to prepare gymnasts for both Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG) and USA Gymnastics (USAG) Junior Olympic programs respectively.

BSG now looks forward to its summer camp which will kick off with a special event, FlipFest Summer Jam, in June.

BOC President, Wellington Miller presents Level 3 Team winners, Bahamas Star Gymnastics at 3rd Annual BGPBC-Bahamas Star Gymnastics Invitational