MEMBERS of the Harefield Gymnastics Academy landed three golds among a promising medal haul from the Saltney Classic Acro-Gymnastic Competition in North Wales.
Many of the Harefield gymnasts were competing in their first competition and Josie Simeone, Jessica Gordon-Brown and Amanda Tropp scored 24.6pts to claim sixth place against more experi
enced opposition.
Ten-year-old Millie Spalding came home with two medals after winning silver with grade one partner Connor Bartlett and then gold with grade three women's pair partner Melanie Smith.
International level gymnasts competed the next day, including Harefield's British Junior Champion trio Katie Smith, Sophie Burfield and Ciara McGrath, who returned a 29.0 to win gold and a cut glass rose bowl for performing the high
est scoring routine of the day.
Rising 11 to 16 women's pair, Becca Copas and Laura Jarrett, took silver, as did junior women's pair Rachael Prest and Poppy Spalding.
The newly-formed junior mixed pair of Matt Short and Laura Noone were tied for the lead with local gymnasts until the last round, before finishing a close second.
Hannah Feeney, Grace Blacklock and Claire Thompson showed they had fully
recovered from injury as they brought home the club's third gold medal of the competition in the senior women's trio.
Coach Kelly Tucker said: "The first time away at any competition can be hard, but the young talent in the club took it in their stride."
High performance coach Natasha Maxwell added: "It was a long and tiring weekend for all the gymnasts, but they gained vital experience to help them in the future."
