The Southern Trials for women's artistic gymnastics were held in Moose Jaw on January 17, 2010. Local gymnasts Karrie Therrien and Carissa Karmazinuk attended the Trials and both made the South West District Team (formerly Zone 3), filling two out of three available spots.
In addition, Gelico coaches Briana Fifield and Michelle Seibel were selected as the head coach and assistant coach, respectively, of the South West District Team.
Swift Current's Karrie Therrien, 10, completed the Winter Games Trials with an all-around score of 32.150. Therrien has been practicing artistic gymnastics since the age of five with Gelico Gymnastics and currently trains nine hours per week. This is Therrien's first season competing at the provincial level and she has a very promising gymnastics career ahead of her! Her favorite gymnastics apparatus is floor because she feels most comfortable with it. Therrien is excited about being involved with the Saskatchewan Winter Games because "it is a great experience and a great opportunity".
Carissa Karmazinuk, 12, completed the Winter Games Trials with an all-around score of 32.050. Karmazinuk started in the recreational program at Gelico at the age of six and moved into the provincial level last season, practicing nine hours per week. In 2009, she qualified for the Saskatchewan Women's Artistic Provincial Championships where she finished ninth all-around. Her favorite apparatus is floor because she likes performing the floor skills and using music. Karmazinuk is excited about being involved in the Saskatchewan Winter Games because of "the experience of going to the winter games to perform and to meet other gymnasts".
Michelle Seibel has been selected as the South West's assistant gymnastics coach for the 2010 Winter Games. Michelle has been involved with the Gelico Club off and on for many years. She joined the club at the age of five as a gymnast and later became a member of the Gelico Executive and was the president of the club for three years. For the past three seasons, Michelle has been coaching in the club's recreational program and she has her Level I NCCP Certification.
Swift Current native Briana Fifield has been selected as the South West District Team's head coach. She started with Gelico Gymnastics at the age of nine as a gymnast and then started coaching in the club in 2001. Briana is Certified Level 2 NCCP and has been coaching provincial level gymnasts at Gelico since 2006 and was the club's head coach from 2005 to 2009.
Gelico Gymnastics is a non-profit club that has been operated in Swift Current for over 30 years run by a small group of parent representatives (volunteers) and coaches who work together to make artistic gymnastics available to all boys and girls who may be interested in the sport from either a recreational or competitive standpoint.
Gelico's practice facility is in the Swift Current Comprehensive High School and contains most of the equipment that you would find in a dedicated gym, with the exception of a spring floor. Despite lacking a self-contained facility, they continue to train local athletes who are able to compete at the provincial level. The executive would love to see the club move into a facility of its own someday, where our local athletes can become even more competitive in artistic gymnastics.
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