Orzel shines at first provincial qualifier
Female members of Gymnastics Energy performed well at the first provincial qualifier.
Jordan Orzel exceeded expectations at the first provincial gymnastics qualifier.
The 15-year-old Vineland resident placed first all around in Level 6 age 16 on the strength of first-place showings in vault, bars and beam, and a fourth-place result on the floor.
“I was really surprised,” she said.
She credited her coaches for the unexpected performance.
“We have a whole new set of coaches this year and they have a different attitude towards everything, new ideas and ways to teach new skills,” the Grade 10 student at Blessed Trinity said.
She feels her biggest improvement has come on bars.
“I am now able to do a giant where you go around the bars in a full straight body (position) which I had never really done before,” she said. “I was always really scared to do it but I kind of got over my fear and just did it.”
She overcame her fear thanks to encouragement from her coaches, who broke the move down and gave her the confidence to do it.
Much of her improvements have come through effort.
“She is a super hard worker and anything I ask her to do, she will just do it,” coach Stacey Cameron said. “There is no hesitation and she is not scared to do it.
“For example, on the beam, she completes a dive roll and everyone else does back handsprings because she wants to be that standout gymnast.”
Orzel has plenty of attributes which have helped make her successful.
“She is naturally talented, she comes to the gym with a great attitude, she works hard and she is good with everybody else,” Cameron said.
Orzel also swims competitively at Blessed Trinity and plays travel soccer in Grimsby and that cross training helps in her gymnastics pursuits.
“Swimming helps me gain strength and soccer helps with the cardio.”
She has been doing gymnastics for 14 years starting at age one in a program called parent and tot and has been competing since age 10. When she was in Level 3 in Grade 6, she was first in the province.
Orzel isn’t getting overconfident despite her fine showing at the first qualifier.
“I want to come top 10 at provincials,” she said.
As for next season, her goals are also set.
“My goal for next year is to skip Level 7 and go right to Level 8,” she said.
Cameron is helping her achieve those goals already.
“Right now we are working on some Level 7 and 8 skills,” she said.
Orzel is at Gymnastics Energy training 16 hours a week.
“I’ve done it my whole life and I don’t know what I would do without it.”
She also helps coach the younger athletes at the club.
“It helps me get a perspective on what coaches see versus what I see as an athlete.”
Following are other Gymnastics Energy results from the qualifier:
Level 6 Age 13: Olivia Glasier, third on vault, eighth on bars, eighth on beam, seventh on floor, seventh all around; Gemma Viola, fifth on vault, eighth on bars, ninth on beam, third on floor, seventh all around.
Both girls were competing in Level 6 for the first time.
Level 6 Age 16: Jordan Orzel, first on vault, first on bars, first on beam, fourth on floor, first all around.
Level 6 Age 14: Jamie Orzel, second on vault, fourth on bars, fourth on beam, eighth on floor, third all around; Claire Tirpko, fourth on vault, third on bars, sixth on beam, second on floor, fourth all around; Grace Laffin, fourth on vault, fifth on bars, fourth on beam, fifth on floor, sixth all around.
Level 6 Age 17 and 18: Joylynn Haymes, second on vault, second on bars, fourth on beam, fourth on floor, fourth all around.
Level 7 Age 10: Kate Marsh, seventh on vault, seventh on bars, fourth on beam, eighth on floor, eighth all around
Level 7 Age 13 and 15-plus: Jorja Tallman, 11th Vault, sixth on bars, eighth on beam, 11th on floor, 10th all around; Chloe McIntyre, 13th on vault, 10th on bars, 12th on beam, 11th on floor, 11th all around.
Level 8 Age 15 plus: Elizabeth Baker, first on vault, ninth on bars, fourth on beam, sixth on floor, seventh all around.