Gymnastics

The Darlington Gymnastic Club picked up medals at two events with a total of 11 members awarded for their achievements while have passed grades tests.

Earlier this month the club travelled to the City of Newcastle Gymnastics Academy who are the Regional Centre of Excellence and came away as team runners-up at grade six level.

The five-girl team of Victoria Corner, seven, Amy Marshall, Jessica Burton, Megan Mason, all eight, and Karen Jackson, ten, won the silver medal and in doing so pushed the strong host club into third place.

During the same competition, Victoria, at seven-years-old, one of the day's youngest competitors, achieved a very creditable fifth place while Jessica Burton managed seventh.

In all a total of 14 of the club's girls competed in the regional grade levels 6, 5, 4, 3 and 1 and in these five and four-piece competitions the girls were competing for places, but also to achieve an average of 70 per cent to pass their respective grades. The girls achieved a 100 per cent pass rate throughout the day.

Also, Katie Woodward, 11, was fifth in grade three which makes her the first reserve for a four-man team representing the region at the national grades finals in Kettering in May. At the same grade, Kate Blaylock, 10, achieved a close sixth place.

The older girls, competing in grade one, saw Frances Blaylock, 16, finish fifth which so she also becomes a first reserve for a regional team to compete in Kettering while 13-year-old and Sally Austin came a close sixth.

Not to be out done, two of the club's boy gymnasts, Jon Pryor and Peter Picciau, travelled to South Tyneside to compete in the NEGA floor and vault championships where they competed against opponents from Gym World, Acklam and Redcar in the two-piece competition.

Nine-year-old Jon earned a joint gold medal while Peter, ten, received a joint bronze medal.

l With the club going from strength to strength, anyone interested in joining should contact Julie Corner on (01325) 483732 or Fiona Austin on (01325) 242072.