My kind of rapture

Us gym moms, after spending what felt like the whole weekend incarcerated in the windowless building that is the North Shore Events Centre, decided that we wouldn't have noticed if the world had ended anyhoo.  Far too much bling and bright lycra where we were, teehee.
This weekend just gone was the largest gym comp this side of Nationals - the annual Shore Rhythmic Champs.  Margaret Woolfe manages to get, every year, gymnasts to turn up not just from around NZ but from Australia and the likes of Malaysia and Cyprus.  The Cypriot girl who came 2 years ago was just amazing.  The Malaysian girls who came this year were delightful - their Grade IV group in particular were very "squee" (and very good).  The Australians were nice, very tidy with clean routines.  The god of dropped apparatus was very even handed in his attentions - no cultural barriers for him! 

As for the rapture:
Groups - this hasn't been a good season so far for the Xtreme groups.  Tink's Grade II group hadn't even competed as the routine wasn't finished til last week, and having all 4 of them at the class at one time was not a regular occurrence.  Jess' Grade IV group kept having drops of apparatus and hadn't managed to make the qualifying mark for Nationals; with the same for the two Grade V groups.  Needless to say, it was very tense in the warm up area at the comp - as this was the last chance to get them all to qualify (not Grade II, they don't go to Nationals).  Anyhoo, Tink's group went out, remembered the routine, didn't have the splat fest that over anxious Evil Gym Mom thought they would (the potential is there, no matter what the level of the gymnasts - that's the joy of rhythmic gymnastics!) and got two ok scores, for the silver medal.  OK, there was only two Grade II groups competing, but they earned that medal rather than getting it for simply showing up.
Grade IV went out, did two much cleaner routines and got just over 30, well over the qualifying mark of 24.  The Grade Vs did much the same.  Much relief all round amongst the evil gym moms, I can tell you!
Now for the individual competition:
Tink went out and did her perky freehand, a fully remembered rope, and a fumble ball (3 drops) - but that was ok because up til now, she's been sooo cautious with ball that her routines look cramped and awkward.  This time she "opened up" and actually had the ball away from her body like you're supposed to!  As Marnie, the head coach, says "I don't mind you dropping your apparatus if you actually throw it in the first place."
Net result?  A very happy Tink and Evil Gym Mom because she was 15th overall, with a 10th for free and a 10th for rope.  Yeehaa.

Jess went out, did her usual clean routines (no dropped clubs still! yay!), ok scores - nothing startling and a bit down on previous comps.  So prizegiving was a lovely surprise with 6th overall and 1st hoop!  She was over the moon with that (especially as she still has a couple of difficulties that aren't getting counted).

Prizegiving at Shore is always held right at the end with all the gymnasts in attendance (if they haven't left to catch planes!) and while it's a pain to have to go back to the venue, it's rather cool to see that many gymnasts all lined up and have them all cheer the place getters.  Very encouraging for the little girls to have the big girls clap for them, I think.

Time to breathe again, as the next comp for us isn't till the end of June.  Might actually get some housework done...