OFSAA 2018 Gymnastics Festival
April 27, 2018 by admin
Filed under Provincial and Territorial News
Welcome to OFSAA Gymnastics 2018!
Bonjour! Hello! Aanii! Host school École secondaire catholique Champlain welcomes you and your team to the Greater Sudbury Area. Cette année marque le 50e anniversaire de la gymnastique de la FESSO. This year marks the 50th anniversary of OFSAA Girls’ Gymnastics. We’ll be celebrating in style!
OFSAA 2018 GYMNASTICS FESTIVAL |
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Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
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Vault | Ireland Toohey, Holy Names | Abi Allison, Lindsay | Linn Neumaier, Centennial |
Bars | Brooke Croke, Horizon | Natasha Gombai, L’Essor | Janelle Lalande, Horizon |
Beam | Sophie-Rose Croteau, College Notre-Dame | Megan Beaudry, ChamplainMarissa Prevost, College Notre-Dame | Jessica Chalmers, Sandwich |
Floor | Kaitlyn Moncrieff, Centennial | Karine Boucher, College Notre-Dame | |
Top 3 Teams | Ridley College, CISAA
Centennial, COSSA College Notre-Dame, NOSSA |
L’Essor, SWOSSAA
Centre Hastings , COSSA College Notre-Dame, NOSSA |
Cayuga, SOSSA
Ridley College, CISAA Lakeshore Catholic, SOSSA |
Level 4 |
Level 5 |
Level 6 |
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Vault | Mackenzie Cortes, Manitoulin | Anna Anderson, L’Essor | Holly Lavigne, Brennan |
Bars | Katie Tchang, Westlane | Sarah Watson, Greater Fort Erie | Portia-Rain Schatz, Brennan |
Beam | Elisabeth Lawton, Lajeunesse | Taylor Thompson, Napanee | Holly Lavigne, Brennan |
Floor | Katie Tchang, Westlane | Halley Baker, Confederation | Ema Kralik, Herman |
Top 3 Teams | Lajeunesse, SWOSSAA
Marymount, NOSSA Horizon, NOSSA |
Napanee, EOSSAA
Champlain, NOSSA Greater Fort Erie, SOSSA |
F J Brennan, SWOSSAA
Bracebridge & Muskoka Lakes, GBSSA College Notre Dame, NOSSA |
OFSAA 2017 GIRLS’ AEROBIC GYMNASTICS FESTIVAL |
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1st | 2nd |
3rd |
Aerobics Novice | Centennial, COSSA | Centre Hastings, COSSA | Lockerby, NOSSA |
Open Aerobics | College Notre Dame, NOSSA | Marymount, NOSSA | Lo-Ellen Park, NOSSA |
LEVEL 1 – Ridley College
LEVEL 2 -École secondaire catholique l’Essor
Aerobics Novice – Centennial High School
Provincial high school gymnastics’ future in doubt amidst declining participation
Executive council to decide on future of OFSAA Gymnastics in June
The best high school gymnasts in Ontario have been meeting to compete annually for five decades, but OFSAA Gymnastics’ 50th anniversary year could very well be its last.
The vibrant energy at this week’s gymnastics festival in Greater Sudbury was partially muted by the fact OFSAA’s executive council will decide this summer whether or not to keep the tournament going in future years amidst declining participation.
Tournament organizers and athletes alike were aware of event’s dim future as the two-day festival wrapped up on Tuesday at Sudbury’s École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier.
Heather Theijsmeijer is a longtime gymnastics teacher and a member of the event’s convening committee.
She said between 220 and 250 young athletes from schools across the province competed this week.
“It’s about what we expected, but it’s lower than past averages,” noted Theijsmeijer. “The sport’s been on a slow decline over the past couple of decades. But if there’s 225 or 235 girls willing to compete, we’ll take ’em.”
Every prominent high school sport features an OFSAA provincial tournament, but the gymnastics event has already been downgraded from “Championship” to “Festival” due to the decline in registration.
Theijsmeijer explained that designation mostly affects tournament funding. But she added it’s also a sign of the times for the sport.
“Of course I sit on a side: I would love to see it continue,” she said. “I was an OFSAA athlete for five years myself. I’ve been coaching and helping out for 17 years, so it’s bittersweet if this is the last one.”
Sudbury-area athletes will be affected
The Northern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association (NOSSA) had 11 schools competing at this week’s festival, coming from Greater Sudbury, Sturgeon Falls and Manitoulin Island. Southwestern Ontario (SWOSSAA) led the way with 12 participating schools.
If it is the last year for OFSAA Gymnastics, Theijsmeijer vowed it won’t be the end for the sport in local high schools. She said NOSSAA already has plans to host its own regional competitions and tournaments.
“But we also have some true high school athletes here, who start gymnastics in Grade 9 or 10 having never done a cartwheel or anything before, so it would be that group of students that will miss out the most if there’s no more OFSAA festival or championship,” she added.
Bella Matarazzo, a Grade 10 student at Sudbury’s Lockerby Composite School, agreed.
A former club competitor, she explained that OFSAA gives her and her teammates something to aim for.
She added high school gymnastics gives students a chance not only to stay active in a sport they enjoy, but that it also becomes a support system of sorts.
“You don’t need any experience to be part of a gymnastics team. I feel like a lot of girls that are coming into high school for the first time, it’s a really good team for them to join. It gives them experience and an opportunity to make new friends,” said Matarazzo.
OFSAA’s manager of sport, Shamus Bourdon, said a decision on the future of provincial high school gymnastics is expected to come in June.