Just when you think it's over

Tink had her last 2011 competition today - the Shore Junior competition.  While Tink competed at the annual Shore competition earlier this year, the Level 1s and 2s were taken off the schedule at the last minute due to scheduling/ space difficulties.  As a result, Shore promised them a junior competition after Nationals to make up for it.
It was a very pleasant, small competition held at a very nice venue - the North Shore Table Tennis Stadium.  Tink went out and did a nice freehand, all smiles and a held cossack balance; and two cautious apparatus routines.  Her scores were mid 7s for rope and ball, and a very nice season high score of 9.5 for free.
While she didn't come anywhere overall, we got the lovely surprise of "...and we have an apparatus placing: 3rd in freehand, Tamsin from Xtreme."

Go Tinkerbelle!!

All done for another year

2011 Gymsport Nationals is all done.
Tink and I did lots of volunteering and happily spent the day yesterday doing nothing (well, I got lots of washing done!) and Jess did 3 days of competing and also spent yesterday chilling out.
So how did it go?
Like last year, Jess was tracking 13th going into Nationals. 
Day 1 was hoop and clubs which didn't go as well as she wanted:  she dropped her hoop for the first time all season and got hammered by the judges in clubs (no drops, but no flair or height in her throws etc - it wasn't her best clubs routine) so one very unhappy gymnast. 
Day 2 was freehand, where she was tidy and pulled herself up the rankings a little and ended up 10th overall.  Go Jess!  Top 10 two years in a row!!
Day 3 was Grade IV Group, which had been giving the coach nightmares all season.  Groups do two showings, and swap gymnasts in/ out for each showing (Jess is in the first showing for her group).  So Jess and co go out and do a really nice, tidy 1st showing with no drops to the joy and relief of all concerned.  Then the 2nd showing was also tidy with only one small drop, again to their joy and relief.  I was working in the competition office all day so only got to watch the AKL showings, but I got told that all the other groups were chasing their apparatus all over the floor and appeared quite nervous.  So Jess came home with a gold medal for Grade IV Group, as AKL won both showings and got the gold by at least 2 marks overall.  Go Xtreme!