Nine gymnasts from The Academy in Portishead, represented the south west in the national grade finals in Birmingham.

NINE Academy gymnasts travelled to Cocks Moor Leisure Centre in Birmingham for the national grade finals to represent the south west.

The first Academy’s first representative was nine-year-old Becca Ballam, in the grade four team. Becca attended the competition as a reserve and gained some valuable experience from the competition.

In the grade eight finals, Katie Jones was selected as reserve, while Eden Bryant and Phoebe Jakubczyk from The Academy were in action.

After a spectacular first round performance from the girls, they were in second and third place individually. In the apparatus rankings, Phoebe placed was placed third on vault, fifth on bars, while Eden was eighth on beam.

Individually out of 52 entries, Phoebe was placed 12th and Eden 17th and the team brought home the bronze medal.

The next championship title up for grabs was the grade six section, where Academy gymnast Sophie Simpkins was in action. Sophie had an excellent competition and was second on bars, ninth on beam and seventh all around. The team was placed fourth.

Amelia Knight, Zoe Simmons and Talesha Stylianou were representing the South West of England in grade seven. The girls had a solid performance and were rewarded with individual medals. Talesha top scored on the vault with Amelia ranked sixth. Zoe top scored on the bars, with Amelia in third. Amelia was second on beam and Zoe ninth on floor.

With these near perfect performances, Talesha was placed 12th, Amelia took the silver all around medal and Zoe the bronze, and the team took the title.

Grade five saw Ellie Haberfield in action and was placed third on vault and seventh on bars. Ellie’s team bonded together perfectly and covered any mistakes to take the championship team title.

Left to right: Ellie Haberfield, Talesha Stylianou, Amelia Knight, Eden Bryant, Phoebe Jakubczyk, Katie Jones, Sophie Simpkins, Zoe Simmons and Becca Ballam.