Canada Winter Games Trials: Gemini’s Carrina LoBello to represent Ontario at Canada Winter Games, while team mate Kelsey Hope makes a comeback

Carrina LoBello and Kelsey Hope make a strong showing at the Canada Winter Games Trials hosted by Gemini Gymnastics.

The Trials served as a selection activity for the Ontario Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team to compete in Whitehorse, Yukon at the prestigious 2007 Canada Winter Games held from February 23rd to March 10th. The top 8 athletes who competed all 4 events in the Level 8 + division were selected to form Team Ontario. A total of 30 athletes from across the province vied for a spot including Gemini’s Carrina LoBello. LoBello won bronze on beam, placed 6th on floor and 8th on vault and bars. She tied for 4th place overall securing her spot on the Ontario Team. LoBello, who recently gained international meet experience in Macedonia, is very excited about her next trip to the Yukon. International competitive opportunities provide valuable experience that will go a long way in sporting events like the Canada Winter Games.

For Kelsey Hope, the Trials served as an opportunity to return to the competitive scene of artistic gymnastics after a one-year recovery period due to injury. The 2005 Junior Canadian Champion competed only bars and beam, but her comeback was nothing less than outstanding as she captured gold medals on both events. Hope’s plans for the future include Montreal’s International Gymnix where she will compete 4 events in the Senior High Performance division.

Gemini Athletes terrific at tour

Gemini athletes are off to a strong start making their mark on the 2006/2007 competitive season. On November 11th and 12th, six athletes competed at Tour Selection hosted by Gymnastics Mississauga.

For Shayla Bolduc and Natalie Vaculik, it was an opportunity to compete in the Pre National Novice category, the entry level for National stream competitive athletes. The 10 year-old team mates were thrilled to find themselves at the top of the podium with Shayla taking 1st overall and Natalie close behind in 2nd. Shayla tied with Natalie for gold on uneven bars and won bronze for floor and beam. Natalie took bronze on vault and earned the highest score of the meet on her floor exercise (18.150) locking down the gold medal on this event.

For athletes Roxanne Wood, Katherine Partington and Mackenzie Merritt, the competition served as a team selection activity for international competition in the United States. Competing in the level 7 category, Roxanne performed remarkably well despite her recent return to competitive gymnastics. Ranking 3rd overall out of 36 competitors, the 14 year-old secured her position on the Ontario Tour Team by winning gold on vault and bars. Katherine and Mackenzie competed in the level 8 division which was comprised of 25 athletes, 13 years and up. Katherine was one of the youngest in the category and ranked 5th on vault, 7th on bars and beam, and 8th on floor exercise. Her consistent performance put her in 7th place overall earning a berth on the Ontario Tour Team. Mackenzie won bronze medals on vault and beam and tied Katherine for 8th place on floor. Mackenzie finished up 9th overall as the first alternate for Team Ontario.

Tour Selection was the first competition for Kristina Vaculik after claiming her title of Junior National Champion in May. Kristina has joined the senior ranks after a very successful 05/06 competitive season. With several of the top seniors resting after the recent Worlds Gymnastics Championships, (including Brittnee Habbib), Kristina used this “no pressure” opportunity to showcase some of her new world level skills. The 14 year-old, was very pleased with her performance ranking 1st overall in the Senior High Performance category and earning gold medals on bars, beam and floor and a silver medal on vault. Kristina and Brittnee’s next competition will be the prestigious Elite Canada held at Seneca College in December.

Gemini’s Head Coach, Elena Davydova (1980 Olympic Champion) was very encouraged by the results over the course of the weekend. “The athletes have been working very hard over the past several months learning new skills to prepare for the upcoming season.”

Brittnee Habbib Reflect on Worlds

Gemini Gymnastics would like to congratulate 17 year-old Brittnee Habbib and her coach, 1980 Olympic Champion, Elena Davydova, who have just returned from the World Championships in Denmark. The Canadian Team ranked 14th place overall with Brittnee’s great performance on beam and the highest score of the team on floor exercise.

Gemini Gymnastics winner of the Ed Brougham Club Award

On June 24th, Gemini Gymnastics was the recipient of the 2006 Ed Brougham Club Award. The award is presented to a Gymnastics Club that has demonstrated exceptional services and provided an outstanding contribution to the development and promotion of the sport of gymnastics at the National & Provincial/Territorial level. Gemini Head Coach, Elena Davydova, President, Denise Steele and 1st Vice, Angela Vaculik were honoured to accept the prestigious award on behalf of the club at the Gymnastics Canada Gymnastique 2006 Annual Awards Dinner held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Ottawa.

Carrina Lobello Second All-Around in Macedonia!

On September 30th 2006, Comp 1's Carrina Lobello competed at her very first international event - Bitola's 3rd International Competition in Artistic Gymnastics! Bitola is a city in Macedonia and the primary participants were athletes from the Balkan countries.

Carrina competed amongst a field of 12 girls placing 1st on floor (13.40), 1st on vault (13.30), 3rd on bars (11.70) and 3rd on beam (12.75) to rank 2nd overall in her category.

The experience gained at this event was very rewarding for Carrina. It was an opportunity to compete outside of Canada at an International event, on different equipment. Carrina met gymnasts from other countries and made many new friends!

A new start and Brittnee off to Worlds!

Gemini is back in the swing of things and the start of our new season already looks promising. On Sept 6th at the World Trials in Mississauga, Gemini's 17 year-old Brittnee Habbib was selected for the team to represent Canada at this month's World Championships. The World Championships will take place on Oct. 14th - 21st in Aarhus, Denmark. Habibb's determination & clean performance at the trials earned her a berth on the World Team.

Reach for the Sky 2006 Rodeo Roundup

OSHAWA AIRPORT -- What a way to ‘roundup’ a tremendous season. It was a very busy weekend for Gemini Gymnastics as they recently hosted their annual Reach for the Sky Invitational. Approximately 400 competitors from 20 clubs across Ontario participated in the three-day event themed ‘Rodeo Roundup”. Gemini welcomed coaches, judges, families and friends, to a facility that was reminiscent of the Wild West. Local artists, Paul Franco & Jackie Saunders-Franco, painted a mural depicting a westerly landscape complete with cowboys, chaps & horses. Member volunteers clad in denim, cowboy boots, bandanas and hats completed the setting. Line dancing rounded day one of the competition while day two brought Oshawa’s Mayor John Gray to the event. Mayor Gray gladly presented awards to the athletes, gave them words of encouragement and posed for group photos. Once again, the Gemini gymnasts were proud recipients of many medals, ribbons and Judge’s recognition awards. Rodeo Roundup was the grand finale to a season of success at Oshawa’s Gemini Gymnastics. Here are the results:

Gemini Gymnasts flying high after Eastern Canadian Championships

Oshawa Airport’s Gemini Gymnastics is flying high with victory. At the Eastern Canadian Championships held in Ancaster from May 5th - 7th, seven Gemini athletes ranked in the top 3 overall with their Ontario Teams at the top of the podium. Gemini’s Lauren Steele, Shannon Sawicky, Carrina LoBello and Riley Cholod sweetened their victories by claiming the title of Eastern Canadian Champion. This prestigious event drew hundreds of top Provincial and National level athletes from the 6 Eastern Provinces including Ontario.

In addition to ranking top in Eastern Canada, 12 year-old Lauren Steele, won 2 silver medals for beam and floor and a bronze for bars. Team mate Katherine Partington also 12, finished a close 2nd taking gold on beam, silver on bars and bronze on floor in the Novice Level 2 category.

In the Open 3 category, Mackenzie Merritt, 14, was the overall Bronze medallist taking home team gold, silver for vault and beam and bronze for floor.

It was a near gold sweep for 11 year-old Shannon Sawicky in the in the Level 3 Tyro division. Sawicky led her Team to a gold medal finish by taking gold on 3 events and claiming the Eastern Canadian title.

Emily Yorke, 12, also took home team gold in the Novice 3 category adding a second gold on vault, silver for beam and floor and ranking 2nd in Eastern Canada.

Gemini’s 3rd Eastern Canadian Champion was 11 year-old Riley Cholod. Competing in the National Pre Novice category, Cholod earned her title by winning gold on bars and bronze for vault, beam and floor exercise.

Carrina Lobello wrapped up the weekend with her victory as Gemini’s 4th Eastern Canadian champion. In the Novice Level 4 division, 13 year-old LoBello led her team to the top of the podium with a gold on vault, silver on bars and bronze on beam and floor.

This year alone, Gemini Gymnastics has produced 7 Provincial Champions and 4 Eastern Canadian Champions, breaking all past records. Gemini's Senior National Team athlete, Brittnee Habbib, represented Canada at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia earning the team bronze medal. More recently, Kristina Vaculik represented Canada on the Junior National Team winning team silver and an individual bronze at the Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships held in Hawaii.

GEMINI GYMNASTICS DOMINATES AT PROVINCIALS CLAIMING 7 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES!

Gemini Gymnastics earned record-breaking results at Elite Ontario held in Caledonia and at the Provincial Championships held in St. Catharines last weekend. In addition to 7 new Ontario Champions, a club record, Gemini brought home a total of 59 medals. Gemini athletes won 23 Event Champion titles and all who were eligible, qualified for Ontario Teams to compete at the Eastern Canadian Championships in Hamilton on May 4th to 7th. The Ontario Championships draw hundreds of athletes from clubs across Ontario who obtained qualifying scores at Provincial Qualifiers held throughout the season. All 25 of Gemini’s Provincial level athletes qualified for Elite Ontario and the Provincial Championships.

At Elite Ontario, Gemini athletes clearly dominated in the results. In the Level 7, 12 to 13 year-old category, Katherine Partington set the pace ranking 1st over all and becoming Gemini’s first Ontario Champion of the season. Her gold medals on bars and beam earned her the title of event champion for those events. Team mate Lauren Steele ranked 3rd as the all around bronze medallist, also taking home bronze for beam. There were 47 athletes in this category vying for the top 4 spots to form Team Ontario and compete at the upcoming Eastern Canadian Championships. Both Partington and Steele will represent Ontario at this prestigious event.

In Level 8, a total of 44 athletes aged 12 & 13 again battled for top spots. Gemini’s Emily Yorke put in an excellent performance as the all around silver medalist, event champion on beam, and silver medalist on bars. Yorke’s 2nd place finish earned her a spot on team Ontario for the Eastern Canadian Championships.

Shannon Sawicky who competed in the Level 8, 10 to 11 year-old division, also came home as the all around silver medalist. She was the event champion on bars and earned bronze for beam and floor securing her spot on the team for Eastern Canadians. Judge’s recognized Sawicky for performing the “Most Aggressive Beam Routine” in her category.

Three of Gemini’s youngest Provincial athletes competed in Elite Ontario’s Level 8, 9 year-old category, the highest Provincial level for this age. Natalie Vaculik became Gemini’s 2nd Ontario Champion, with a gold medal sweep on all 4 events. Vaculik also receive a Judge’s Recognition Award for “Best Presentation and Variety of Dance Elements” on floor. Team mates Madalyn Penhale-Hall and Shayla Bolduc also put in excellent showings at this level. Penhale-Hall ranked 3rd all around tying Vaculik for gold on bars and taking home bronze for vault and floor. She received 2 Judge’s Recognition Awards for “Highest Flyaway” on bars and “Most Aggressive Vault”. Shayla Bolduc ranked 4th in Ontario winning silver medals for beam and floor and bronze for bars. Due to age restrictions, this category is not eligible for Eastern Canadians.

In the National Pre Novice category, 11 year-old Riley Cholod was Gemini’s 3rd Ontario Champion. Cholod was event champion on bars and floor and won silver medals on vault and beam, easily qualifying for Eastern Canadians.

Mackenzie Merritt also made team for Eastern Canadians as the bronze all around medalist in the level 8, 14+ division. Merrit put in a strong showing in a category of 25 athletes bringing home a silver medal for vault and bronze medals for beam and floor. Her performance on vault and beam earned her 2 Recognition Awards – “Most Aggressive Vault” and “Most Aggressive Beam Routine”.

Carrina LoBello and Jacquie Harvey were Gemini’s 4th and 5th Ontario Champions. LoBello competed in the Level 9, age 12 & 13 year-old category becoming event champion on beam and winning silver medals for vault and floor exercise. In the Level 9, 14+ division, Harvey earned event champion titles on vault, bars and floor and received a recognition award for “Most Difficult Bar Routine”. Again, both athletes qualified for Eastern Canadians.

At the Provincial Championships in St. Catharine’s, Katerina Cirone and team mate, Michaela Dennis, put in excellent results for their first Championships. The athletes competed in the Level 5, 9 year-old category with a total of 39 athletes! Cirone ranked 2nd overall as the event champion for vault and the bronze medalist for floor exercise. Dennis ranked 7th overall bringing home a silver medal for floor and ranking 4th on vault.

In the Level 6, age 10 & 11 division the competition was fierce. In a category totaling 48 athletes, team mates Hayley Ardiel, Jessica McCullough and Brittany McCaughey all put in strong performances. Ardiel placed 8th all around ranking in the top 10 on each apparatus. McCullough took home 6th place for bars and 11th overall while McCaughey placed 6th on vault, 8th on beam and 13th overall.

Gemini’s 6th Ontario Champion of the season was Daijha Heron. In the Level 7, 9 year-old category Heron made her mark ranking first overall as event champion for vault and floor. She won a silver medal for beam, a bronze medal for bars and received a Judge’s Recognition Award for “Best Swing on Bars”. Team mate Brianna Sitwell was Ontario’s all around silver medalist earning the title of event champion for beam and ranking 5th on vault and floor exercise.

Yasmeen Abdul-Rashid was Gemini’s final Ontario Champion and one of 7 Gemini athletes competing in the Level 7, 10 & 11 year-old category. Abdul-Rashid was event champion on vault winning bronze for uneven bars and placing 6th on beam and floor. In a category totaling 39 athletes, team mate Sydney Merritt placed 4th taking home silver for vault and bronze for floor. Jordyn Kent ranked 5th all around as event champion for uneven bars and receiving a Judge’s Recognition Award for “Best Swing on Bars”. Rachael Snider was event champion for beam, ranking 4th on floor and 8th overall. Julia Vinkovic tied Abdul-Rashid as even champion for vault, placing 5th on floor and ranking 9th overall. She received recognition for her “Outstanding Twisting Technique” on vault. Meghan Black and Kayla Doyle tied for beam bringing home bronze medals and ranking 10th and 11th respectively. Black also won bronze for her performance on floor exercise.

Harvey and Lo Bello contribute to Silver medal finish at Ontario Winder Games

BARRIE – Courtice’s Jacquie Harvey and Brooklin’s Carrina Lo Bello recently participated in the Ontario Winter Games, held in Barrie, Ontario. The focus of the event was on team participation and cooperation and the medals were awarded on a team basis only.

The teams consisted of 8 gymnasts each and the top 4 scores per event were totalled to determine the results. Harvey and LoBello's scores greatly contributed to the overall success of the team finishing up second with the silver medal. Throughout the competition, the girls were regarded as great ambassadors for Gemini Gymnastics with much credit given to the team coach, Gemini's very own Valery Yahchybekov!

Habbib helps lead Canada's team to Bronze in Commonwealth Games

Her performance contributed to the team achieving 2nd on Vault and Balance Beam, 3rd on Uneven Bars and 4th on Floor Exercise. In the packed Rod Laver Arena, Team Canada, consisting of Elyse Hopfner-Hibbs, Alyssa Brown, Gael Mackie, Jenna Kerbis and Brittnee Habbib, captured the bronze with a total of 162.550 points. Australia took team gold with 172.600 points ahead of England with 164.350 points.

Habbib is very pleased that she had the opportunity to represent Canada in her first Commonwealth Games. Coached by Elena Davydova and Valery Yahchybekov, she can now add this achievement to her impressive gymnastics resume.

Gemini athletes solid at Gymnix in Montreal

Twenty-five competitive athletes from Oshawa’s Gemini Gymnastics recently returned from Quebec where they competed at the 15th Annual La Classique and International Gymnix 2006 held in Montreal’s Centre Sportif Claude-Robillard.

Representing Canada, Youth National Team member Kristina Vaculik put in a fine performance during the International portion of this event. Traditionally, International Gymnix draws athletes of world-calibre from around the globe, and this year was no exception. Athletes from Japan, Belgium, Russia, Brazil, United States and Canada competed in the Junior and Senior International categories. This event was the first international meet in Canada to use the new Code of Points.

Vaculik, who was up against a powerful American team, ranked a respectable 8th overall and qualified for 3 event finals. On uneven bars, a clean and precise routine earned her the silver medal, with gold and bronze going to the United States. On vault and floor, she placed a solid 4th. Vaculik was one of two Canadian Juniors who medaled at this meet. Her results here have earned her a position on the Junior Team to represent Canada at the 2006 Pacific Alliance Gymnastics Championships in Hawaii, April 11 to 15th.

For some of the younger gymnasts, this meet brought great excitement being their first competition of the season. For the provincial gymnasts, this invitational was an excellent precursor to Provincial Championships upcoming in April, as it always draws an impressive crowd.

Five Provincial level gymnasts, Daijha Heron, Sydney Merritt, Natalie Vaculik, Carrina Lo Bello and Jacquie Harvey all captured first overall in their categories. National Pre-Novice gymnast, Riley Cholod also captured first overall in her category. In addition to the individual results, Gemini’s 3 team entries brought home 6 plaques. These included 1st place for overall, bars, beam, and floor, and 3rd place for vault and floor. Athletes in the following categories (some as large as 40) competed using the Canadian Provincial Program.

Here are the results for Gemini’s provincial competitors: