The Winter Olympics continue this week in Turin, Italy, but a popular event often seen in the Summer Olympics will take place this weekend in Natrona Heights, Harrison. The final season meet for YMCA gymnastics is expected to draw more then 200 competitors from across Western Pennsylvania.
Girls ages 5-19 will compete for championships Saturday and Sunday at the Allegheny Valley YMCA.
"This is the last one of the year," said meet organizer Shirley VanDyke. "It's the last chance for the girls to qualify for states and nationals."
While all the girls will be doing routines, only girls in Levels 4 through 8 will compete for awards.
"At each level they have a certain routine," VanDyke said. "They are required to do a certain routine for level four and a different routine at Level 5. Those are called compulsory routines. By the time they get to levels seven and eight, they get to make their own routines."
Team scores are also evaluated during the competition with awards for the top finishers.
"Team scores take the top four from each team on the vaults, uneven bars, floor exercise and balance beam for level four and up," VanDyke said. "Not everyone has a full team coming. Once you qualify for states and nationals, the only meet you are required to attend is the home meet.
"You can tell the difference of how much sharper they are when the competition start. In practice I see them and think, they better not perform like that at the meet."
New coach Teresa Telford of the Allegheny Valley YMCA Twisters has seen her team's performance at the meets improve over previous years.
Telford had been with the team a few years ago and has returned for a second stint.
"I don't how to word it, but we've seen good results with this Teresa," VanDyke said. "We almost never come home without some awards."
VanDyke's daughter, Haley Westerman, 12, also competes and is looking forward to the home meet this weekend.
"Yeah, I think it's going to be fun. The home ones usually are," Westerman said.
She has also attended states and nationals, and she will go this year along with many of her teammates.
"It was in Wisconsin last year," Westerman said. "I didn't place or anything, but it was a lot of fun. This year the opening ceremonies are in Hershey, and the meet is in Hanover."
