Lightning gymnast takes a leap
In only a few months, Niagara Falls Lightning Gymnastics Club member Avelyn Saliba has been able to make a successful jump to Level 6 from Level 4.
“She is in the gym 16 hours a week and she is working hard,” Lightning head coach Andrei Gorodetskii said. “She has a great attitude and great parents and I see her in Level 8 next year. She is going to jump over Level 7.”
At the second provincial qualifier hosted by the Lightning club in January, Avelyn placed first on the vault, bars and beam and was third on the floor to end up first all around.
“She has great potential and she is already mature for her age,” Gorodetskii said. “When she competes, it’s a pleasure to watch her because she already acts like a developed gymnast.”
Last year at Level 4, Avelyn placed third all around at the provincial championships, won silver on vault and bronze on bars.
The nine-year-old Niagara Falls resident has only been in gymnastics for three years and took to the sport immediately.
“I liked it right away,” she said. “I liked everything.”
The Grade 4 student at St. Alexander always looks forward to her training sessions.
“I love doing skills and being here with my friends and coaches.”
Avelyn went into the qualifier confident but not overconfident and pointed to her routine on the beam as the highlight of the meet.
“I was able to get 9.5 on the beam,” she said, adding her previous best was a 9.3. “I was able to fix up some things.”
She admits that taking the leap to Level 6 from Level 4 in one year wasn’t easy.
“I just tried my hardest,” she said.
Her goals for this year are to qualify for the provincial championships and do well when she gets there.
In addition to gymnastics, Avelyn also swims.
Following are complete Lightning results from the second qualifier:
Level 1 Age 9: Shania Wedderbern, second vault, third bars, first beam, second floor; first all around; Suzanna Wassif, third vault, second bars, second beam, first floor; second all around; Chloe Blair, first vault, fourth bars, fifth beam, fifth floor; third all around; Kenza Nasri, ninth vault, eighth bars, sixth beam, 10th floor; ninth all around; Alba Arifi, seventh vault, 10th bars, ninth beam, ninth floor; 10th all around.
Level 2 age 10-12: Lamar Farrag, fifth vault, eighth bars, first beam, first floor; third all around; Rheana London, sixth vault, seventh bars, fourth beam, fourth floor; fifth all around; Brooke Timlin, third vault, 10th bars, third beam, sixth floor; eighth all around; Emma Wilkinson, sixth vault, eighth bars, ninth beam, eighth floor; ninth all around.
Level 3 age 9-10: Emma Reile, sixth vault, third bars, seventh beam, fourth floor; fourth all around; Arin Jung, ninth vault, fifth bars, third beam, fourth floor; fifth all around; Mia Bomberry, eighth vault, eighth bars, 10th beam, seventh floor; ninth all around.
Level 3 age 12-14: Samantha Purnell, fourth vault, seventh bars, eighth beam, sixth floor; seventh all around; Gwyneth Nutsova, fifth vault, eighth bars, sixth beam, seventh floor; eighth all around; Nevaeh Whissell, ninth vault, ninth bars, fourth beam, eighth floor; ninth all around.
Level 4 age 10: Grace Sinakone, fifth vault, fifth bars, second beam, second floor; second all around.
Level 4 age 9: Cara Nicoletta, first vault, first bars, third beam, third floor; first all around; Brooke Kennedy, second vault, fifth bars, first beam, second floor; second all around; Blythe Ryan, sixth vault, third bars, third beam, fifth floor; third all around; Jassmene Filipovic, third vault, fourth bars, fifth beam, sixth floor; sixth all around.
Level 4 age 11: London Counsell, ninth vault, seventh bars, eighth beam, seventh floor; eighth all around.
Level 4 age 12: Evelyn Whetung, second vault, first bars, first beam, second floor; second all around; Lily Reile, sixth vault, seventh bars, fifth beam, sixth floor; seventh all around.
Level 4 age 13-14: Anasofia Gonzalez, eighth vault, eighth all around.
Level 6 age 9-10: Avelyn Saliba, first vault, first bars, first beam, third floor; first all around; Aliyah Schmidt, second vault, second bars, second beam, first floor; second all around; Priscilla Kluke, third vault, third bars, fifth beam, second floor; third all around; Reaghan Passero, fourth vault, fourth bars, third beam, third floor; fourth all around.
Level 6 age 11-12: Genevieve Heaton, fifth vault, sixth bars, second beam, seventh floor; fourth all around.
Level 6 age 13: Ryann Learn, fourth vault, ninth bars, third beam, third floor; fourth all around; Abbygayle Thompson, eighth vault, fifth bars, sixth beam, sixth floor; sixth all around; River Learn, 10th vault, eighth bars, ninth beam, 11th floor; 11th all around.
Level 7 age 10-12: Sophia Slyva, fourth vault, first bars, second beam, second floor; first all around.
Level 7 age 13: Reece Dunne, second vault, fifth bars, third beam, second floor; fourth all around.
Level 8 age 11-plus: Ariya Schmidt, first vault, first bars, first beam, second floor; first all around; Bridget McCulligh, second vault, second bars, second beam, first floor; second all around.
Level 9 age 16-plus: Chloe Theriault, first vault, first bars, first beam, first floor; first all around.
Also performing well for the Lightning Club were: Scarlett Kluke in Level 2 age 7; Nora Bakai, Violet Carver, Violet Saliba, Hannah Jones, Arwen Cleaves and Katie Dougan in Level 2 age 8; and, Camilla Condie-Wan in Level 4 age 8.
