Area gymnasts finding success at high levels

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/12/2023 (507 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach was well represented during the Manitoba Gymnastics Awards banquet held in Winnipeg Nov. 18.

Four athletes from Tamarack Gymnastics were recognized for their top scores in Manitoba. Declyn Friesen was given an award for being highest scoring provincial trampoline and double mini trampoline (DMT) athlete. Lane Peters was the highest scoring tumbler at the provincial level.

Tamarack Gymnastics also had two national level athletes recognized, with Isaiah Klassen (DMT/Tumbling) and Ben Pinsk (trampoline) earning top honours for Manitoba athletes.

Pinsk wasn’t able to attend the event, as he was in the United Kingdom, competing at the world level, finishing fifth. Pinsk is now based out of Calgary.

Every athlete/coach/judge from Manitoba that went to Westerns or competed at nationals were recognized at the awards ceremony. Ten athletes, two coaches, and two judges from Tamarack represented Manitoba throughout the year.

Flippers Gymnastics athletes also received awards at the ceremony, with three athletes receiving recognition for regional and westerns success.

Flippers owner Bonita Martens said that gymnastics is healthy in the Steinbach area, with new athletes registering with her club, noting the pandemic has brought positive changes to the gym.

”We have adapted well and have maintained smaller group sizes due to the benefit we saw in giving the athletes more one-one coaching,” she said in an email.

Amanda Pierson is the co-director and coach of Tamerack Gymnastics. The club went from 150 athletes in their opening year of 2020 to over 500 this season.

“I don’t know what I’m doing right,” Pierson said, laughing.

“I’m doing something right, because we get awards every year… I think I’ve developed athletes that have a high level of motivation, and they’re very independent in their training.”

The top-level athletes in Steinbach leave school to train at lunchtime, in addition to wieght training and meeting mental skills coach. That regimen is on top of three to four sessions per week in the gym.

Martens said it all comes down to the athlete’s mentality.

“The key to becoming a national level athlete takes commitment in both time and dedication through the good and challenging times,” she said.

Pierson said the atmosphere in the gym is good, with athletes motivated to take the next step in their gymnastics journey.

“When I was a younger coach, I was really picky with who I would take into my competitive program,” she said.

“Now, if they want to do it, or if their parents come to me and say, ‘how do they get into the competitive scene?’ I just take them. I work with them, and some of them it might take longer to get there, some of them get there really quickly.”

Pierson gave credit to the older athletes for instilling that positive atmosphere throughout the program.

“For me, it’s really important that sport is fun, because when I was in gymnastics it wasn’t always fun,” she said.

Flippers Award Winners

Sullivan Matthews: Regional Beginner Men’s Artistic Champion

Xavier Reimer: Regional Advanced Men’s Artistic Champion

Tamarack Award Winners

Declyn Friesen – Top Provincial Trampoline and DMT

Lane Peters- Top Provincial Tumbler

Isaiah Klassen- Top National DMT/Tumbler

Ben Pinsk- Top National Trampoline

Western Canada Cup Athletes

Lacey Schroeder

Monique Wiebe

Emma Wiebe

Declyn Friesen

Lane Peters

Zoe Voth

Anak Hiebert

Izzy Boer

Khearra Koeuth

Paris Gagnon

Chloe (Flippers Gymnastics)

Xavier Reimer (Flippers Gymnastics)

Western Canada Cup Coaches

Amanda Pierson (also Nationals)

Isaiah Klassen

Western Canada Cup Judges

Kelsey Berkowski (also nationals)

Megan Charriere

Nationals

Isaiah Klassen

Ben Pinsk

Lane Peters

Declyn Friesen