Bermuda's national gymnastics team along with new head coach Duke Nelligan just returned from a meet in Maryland where they competed against 1,500 competitors.

Fourteen-year-old Morgan Beckles led the way for the local girls with high score on the vault (8.875) which was good enough for fourth place overall.

Beckles went one better on the bars with a third place and a score of 8.15 while she also recorded an eighth place finish in the all-around.

The competition – "Christmas on the Chesapeake Invitational Meet" – was staged in Baltimore and served as a warm-up for the national team who will be competing in February at the "World's Largest Gymnastics Meet" in Chicago.

Twelve gymnasts along with assistant coaches Mandi Baughman and Wendy Garrett travelled to Baltimore and it was special trip home for coach Nelligan who was the head coach at the University of Maryland for 30 years before moving to Bermuda a couple of months' ago.

Along with Beckles in the senior division were Rosie Finnigan, 13, Tabytha Hofheins, 12, and Morgan Cleave, 12. They competed in the Level Nine Division.

FInnigan received a medal for her all-around effort (10th place) and Cleave earned sixth place on the balance beam with an 8.6.

In the Level Seven Division, Bermuda had eight competitors – Danielle Wall, 10, Zantae Dill, 11, Sydney Mason, 11, Clara James, 10, Zekiah Lewis, 8, Tais Burgess-Allen, 9, Sadia Wilson, 9, and Samantha Soares, 9.

Vaulting was Bermuda's top event with high scores from Lewis with a 9.125 (ninth place), Dill with 8.825 (11th place), Mason with 8.8 and Wilson with 8.9.

The meet was also a special milestone for youngsters Burgess-Allen, Wilson, and Soares, who had moved up to the Level 7 team just three months prior.

Many of Bermuda's team performed new skills and routines ahead of the Chicago meet next year.