A team of gymnasts are fine-tuning their routines ahead week two of the Junior Victorian Championships, with another returning home happy following a week one performance.
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Warrnambool Springers Gymnastics Club's Level 4 (division three) team, consisting of Naomi Kishinaka, Olivia Emeny, Phoebe Draffen, Georgie Milroy and Asha Graham will attend the Geelong-based championships from Saturday. The team earned their spot at states after they were crowned West Region's champion team last month.
The squad will compete in four women's apparatus including vault, bars, beam and floor.
Milroy said she felt a mix of excitement and nerves ahead of her first appearance at the championships.
She said she hoped to impress on vault and floor, with the team focusing on "pointing their toes more and squeezing their knees" in the lead up to the event.
Springers coach Dean Mulholland said he would speak to the gymnasts about what to expect ahead of the competition, particularly for the first-timers.
"They're looking excited and confident," he said of the team.
Mulholland said the state championships would be a step up in competition and include a bigger venue and crowd than what the team had previously competed in front of.
"It all looks a lot more official," he said of the calibre of venue and judging.
Mulholland said the team had used recent competitions as preparation, including one in Hamilton earlier in the month.
"They've been continuing to have their training sessions twice a week and make sure everything is ready and put those finishing touches on," he said. "There is always something that can be improved."
Meanwhile, Marilla Smits, 12, attended the championship event on Sunday where she competed in the Level 5 (division three) individual field. Her best scores came on vault and beam before finishing 42 out of 73 competitors.
Smits, who has attended the championships before, said she had fun and went in to it aiming to do her best on each apparatus.
"I was very happy," she said of her performance.
The Our Lady student said she would look to improve through further training.
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Meg Saultry
Sports journalist at the Warrnambool Standard, with a strong interest in Australian rules football, basketball and women in sport.
Sports journalist at the Warrnambool Standard, with a strong interest in Australian rules football, basketball and women in sport.
