KENSINGTON, P.E.I. — There will be lots of athletes to cheer for at the Kensington Intermediate-Senior High School gymnasium on Saturday.
Close to 360 athletes from 26 P.E.I. schools are expected to display their skills in the 2019 P.E.I. School Athletic Association’s provincial gymnastics championships.
Athletes qualified at four zone championships, which attracted more than 750 gymnasts. Each zone is sending its top three teams, and the top-20 all-around gymnasts in each category.
PEISAA sports co-ordinator Phil Bridges is encouraged by the growth gymnastics is achieving in Island schools.
“Just the participation alone does provide our students with both mental and physical health benefits through strength and endurance conditioning,” Bridges noted
Six different categories
PEISAA gymnastics commissioner Paul Gougen said athletes will be competing for P.E.I. School Milk Foundation awards in six different categories. He added the PEISAA is very excited to be hosting the provincials at KISH for the ninth year in a row.
"It’s such a beautiful facility, which can hold many spectators, and the gym is very spectator friendly,” said Goguen.
With the event being held a week earlier than usual this year, Goguen is hoping the event catches a break from the weather, so that a large crowd of spectators can attend and cheer on the young gymnasts.
Each gymnast will be performing two vaults and one floor routine while competing for event and all-around awards in respective pre-novice, novice, bantam and intermediate categories. Individual scores will help determine school team standings.
Spring Park Elementary is the defending champion in both the pre-novice boys and novice boys’ categories. LM Montgomery Elementary is the defending champion of the pre-novice and novice girls’ divisions.
Schedule
A look at Saturday’s PEISAA gymnastics schedule:
Pre-novice boys and girls take to the floor at 9 a.m. There are 146 Grade 3 and 4 boys and girls registered.
There are 149 students from Grades 5 and 6 registered for the novice boys and girls’ competitions, which start at 1 p.m.
There are 47 gymnasts in bantam girls (Grades 7 and 8) and intermediate girls (Grades 9 and 10). Their warm-ups start at 3:50 p.m.
