The Tribune

NASSAU Gymnastics has had a very active and impressive 2016-2017 international competition season, which ended in their participation in the Cat’s Beach Blast Invitational held in Wellington, Florida in the month of April.

The meet was hosted by Cats Gymnastics, and was held at the Palm Beach Central High School. Nassau gymNastics, was the only international club that participated in this meet, all other clubs were US-based.

Despite it being one of the smaller International Meets attended by Nassau gymNastics it was by no means easy pickings for the gymnasts.

Among the eight gymnasts representing Nassau gymNastics were three, Level 1 gymnasts – Charis Edgecombe, Mikaila Cartwright and Martique Thompson.

Five-year-old Charis Edgecombe scored very impressively on all four women’s events.  Edgecombe scored a 9.450 on Floor, 9.450 on Balance Beam, 9.425 on Vault, and 9.450 on the Uneven Bars giving her 1st, 2nd, 1st and 2nd places respectively. She won 1st place overall in her age division with a score of 37.775.  

This was Edgecombe’s second competition for the season and her mother was extremely pleased, saying: “This was Charis’s first international competition she went and executed exactly what her coaches instilled in her; her dad and I are very proud of her!” Meanwhile Edgecombe’s teammates Mikala Cartwright and Martique Thompson, both novice competitors, were not to be out done.

Cartwright took 1st place on floor with a score of 9.650 and 2nd place on the Balance Beam. She placed 2nd overall at the meet in her age division. Martique Thompson placed 1st place on the Balance Beam and 6th place overall in her age division. The girls also won the 1st place level 1 team banner for their gym.

Level 3 gymnast Morgan Bethel rounded off her International Competition season in 4th place at the Cat’s Meet. 

Bethel scored two 3rd place medals on the Vault and Uneven Bars and a 1st on the Floor Exercise. She placed 4th overall in her age division. When asked of her experience and performance at the Meet, Morgan responded: “It was fun but difficult also because the gymnasts this year looked stronger than last year, and they were fiercer about winning first place.”

Bayli Major also competed at the Cat’s Beach Blast Invitational as a level 4 gymnast placing 2nd on the vault in her age division with a 9.00. This was Major’s first meet at level 4.

Representing level 5 was Alia Beneby. Alia placed 4th on both the Uneven Bars and Floor Exercises and 3rd place overall with a score of 35.950. Beneby says after completing this meet she now looks forward to working much harder over the summer in order to do well at the Atlantis Crown Meet in December.

Hope Smith and Michaela Bonamy both competed at Excel Gold and scored very well. Hope placed 1st on Vault and the Floor Exercise scoring 9.275 and 9.300. She placed 1st overall in her age division. Bonamy placed 2nd on all four events and 2nd overall at the meet.

The Cats Beach Blast Invitational marked the final gymnastics Meet of Nassau gymNastics Club’s International competition season for 2016-2017.

Coach Levette Saunders was extremely proud of all eight girls and felt that they all did a great job of ending the season on a grand note.

Throughout the season Nassau gymNastics has attended four International gymnastics competitions in the state of Florida. These included the Presidential Classic Invitational and Magical Classic Invitational in Orlando, the Fright Meet in Coral Springs, and The Cat’s Beach Blast Invitational in Wellington.

The Club has also attended the Atlantis Crown Invitational held here in New Providence at Atlantis, Paradise Island in the month of December and plans are already well on the way for their 2017-2018 gymnastics competition season.