Eleven medal-clad gymnasts returned to Bermuda, last week, from the team's annual trip to the USAIGC National and International Championships held in Florida.

The competition runs in a two-part format. Day one is the all-around competition in which all girls participate and on day two all of the top qualifiers on each apparatus return for the individual event finals.

The team experienced well-rounded success at the championships, qualifying at least one gymnast to each of the individual event finals.

But more importantly, the young team returned to Bermuda with valuable competitive experience under their belts.

"More than half of our gymnasts were competing at the Championships for the very first time", said head coach Duke Nelligan.

"We had some nerves crop up and some mistakes here and there, but we also had some exceptional performances.

"Overall it was a great stepping stone on our way towards preparing our young team for future Championships, Island Games, and eventually Commonwealth Games."

In the Platinum division, Morgan Cleave (BHS) and Tabytha Hofheins (Warwick Academy), both 12 years old, returned to the Championship for the fourth year in a row.

High scores for the girls came on floor exercise for Cleave with an 8.575, and on balance beam for Hofheins, who earned a 9.025 and a spot in the following day's event final (she finished third in the final with an 8.45).

The competition was Cleave's last with the Bermuda team as she will return to England at the end of this month.

"Morgan will be greatly missed by our team. She is a beautiful and fearless gymnast and we wish her continued success in her new gymnastics home", said assistant coach Mandi Baughman.

Next up for Bermuda were the silver level gymnasts – nine in total.

Competing in the 8 to 10-year-old division were Sadia Wilson (BHS, 10), Tais Burgess-Allen (Harrington Sound, 10), Samantha Soares (Warwick Acad, 10), Zekiah Lewis (W. Pembroke, 9), Clara James (BHS, 10) and Danielle Wall (BHS, 10).

Bermuda's top finisher was newcomer Sadia Wilson, who earned 14th place all-around with a 35.25.

She also finished just one spot out of the vaulting event finals, earning 11th place with a 9.075. Burgess-Allen, also a first time competitor, tumbled her way into the floor exercise finals with a 9.25 for 10th place (she matched her score the next day in the final for a sixth place medal).

Top scores also came from Lewis on the vault with an 8.875, Wall on floor with an 8.975, James on floor with an 8.7, and Soares on balance beam with an 8.625.

Later in the day Zantae Dill (Saltus) competed in the 11-year-old division, while Sydney Mason (BHS) and Andrea Burrows (Whitney) performed in the 12-year-old division.

Dill had an impressive all-around performance (34.725 for 21st place), highlighted by a 9.0 score on vaulting.

But Bermuda's top all-around finish of the competition came from Mason, who earned the 10th place all-around plaque. Team-mate Burrows was not far behind with an 11th place finish.

Mason also qualified for the uneven bars and floor exercise event finals, while Burrows qualified for both the vaulting and uneven bars finals.

The following day, both the girls turned in top performances. On uneven bars, Burrows finished fifth with a 9.0 and Mason earned an 8.8 for sixth place.

Mason also notched a 9.1 on floor exercise for a fifth place finish.

The girls now look forward to nine weeks of summer training to work on new skills to add to their routines for next season.

At the end of this month, BGA will send two girls to the CAC Games – Morgan Beckles (BHS, 15) and Rosie Finnigan (BHS, 13).

Coach Nelligan is looking forward to see how the youngsters perform on an International stage of such a high calibre: "Just as USAIGC Nationals served as a learning experience for our youngest competitors, the CAC Games is even more valuable to teaching our senior girls what is out there in the gymnastics world.

"I hope it will inspire them to 'up their game' and push the Bermuda team to new levels for the future".