Linton retain title by closest of margins

Teams of Year 3 & 4 gymnasts from fourteen South Cambs primary schools took part in the annual School Games Gymnastics Competition on Wednesday 30^th January at Comberton Village College.

The gymnasium was silent and the atmosphere concentrated whilst the children demonstrated their skills on the vault and floor in front of the judges and on looking spectators. At stake was the chance to represent South Cambs School Sports Partnership at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough School Games Spring Festival, with the top two schools qualifying to take on the best schools from across the County.

After a welcome and warm up led by the partnerships sports leaders the competition started. The mixed teams of six children from Great Abington, Castle Camps, Bassingbourn, Coton, Linton Heights, Harston & Newton, Haslingfield, Fenstanton, Meridian & Dry Drayton schools all had to perform a vault and then either a floor or body management routine with each performance judged and given a score out of 10. Each child’s individual score in both disciplines was then combined to give an overall team score out of a maximum of 120.

The competition was fiercely contested and after all of the scores were added up less than 8 points separated the top 10 teams! With consistently strong performances throughout their whole team Great Abington finished as runners up, improving on their 3^rd place finish from the previous year and finishing with a score of 110.10. It was by the narrowest of margins that Linton Heights Junior School managed to retain the title they won last year with just .1 of a score earning them top position and the well-deserved title of South Cambs champions for the second year running.  Last year’s runners up Castle Camps finished in 3^rd place.

Both Gt Abington & Linton Heights now go forward to represent South Cambs SSP at the County School Games Spring Finals on Thursday 28^th March at Huntingdon Gymnastics Club.

The top 3 scoring individuals in the competition were also awarded with medals with again some extremely close scores.

1^st Annabelle Castle Camps 19.50

= 2^nd Molly Harston & Newton 19.20

= 2^nd Isabel Linton Heights 19.20

Qualified young judges from Comberton, Cambourne and Impington Village Colleges did an excellent job in scoring the performances of all of the competitors, keeping the competition running smoothly and encouraging and supporting the young gymnasts.

Spirit of the Games awards were nominated by the sports leaders and given out to those children who strongly demonstrated self-belief and passion in their performances with the following children receiving recognition:

Leah (Castle Camps) who was very nervous at the start but with the support of one of the sports leaders she was very brave and performed her floor routine and remembered everything.

Freddie (Dry Drayton) for showing real perseverance and bravery despite being nervous and a bit upset at the start. He finished the event with a huge smile though.

Sophie (Bassingbourn) for showing self-belief and confidence with her vaulting.

Alfie (Gt Abington) who was very nervous about the event at the start having never taking part in a competition but he showed his self belief to get up and perofm his floor routine and help his team finish as runners up.

Bethan (Haslingfield) for conquering her nerves and apprehension to produce a shining performance.

Claire McDonnell, South Cambs School Games Organiser said,

“It was another great competition. It’s nice to offer children the opportunity to represent their school and compete in a more artistic type of event such as gymnastics. It always amazes me how well the children perform under quite intense pressure, it is so quiet in the gym and there are lots of other children, staff and parents watching on. All of the children did exceptionally well and should be proud of themselves.

Whilst we recognise and celebrate the winners and wish Linton Heights and Great Abington the best of luck at the county finals next month the main purpose of all of our events is to ensure the children have an enjoyable time and to encourage them to achieve their personal best and I think they all did that today.

The young judges also did an exceptional job, we couldn’t have run the competition without them, they were focused and efficient throughout and even supported a couple of the gymnasts through their routines when nerves got the better of them.”

FULL RESULTS