Eagles pleased with performances

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This article was published 01/05/2017 (3300 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brooklyn Nylen entered the western Canadian gymnastics championships with a goal of reaching an apparatus final.

After scoring 9.025 points on the vault in the Junior Olympic Level 9 (ages 11 to 13) qualifying round on Friday, the 12-year-old from the Brandon Eagles Gymnastics Centre was among seven athletes to advance to Saturday’s final.

On her first of two attempts, Nylen attempted a tsuk — punching the springboard, attacking the vault sideways and flipping backwards — for a score of 8.825. The mark was shy of her qualifying score but held up as her best after failing to stick the landing on her front-front and scoring 8.400.

The two-time westerns participants — she was at last year’s event in Richmond, B.C. — finished sixth but was thrilled with her performance, especially considering all the nervous energy she had before hitting the vault.

“I found it kind of overwhelming but really happy at the same time because that was my goal for the whole thing to make a final and I thought that would be really cool,” Nylen said.

As much as she would have liked to improve upon the 9.025, a score that was matched by British Columbia’s Ella Jalandoon in the final and resulted in a fourth-place finish, Nylen didn’t put any pressure on herself to do that.

“I really just wanted to try and do the same as I did the other day because it was good,” Nylen added. “I’m still happy with what happened.”

Paola Barahona was also still pleased with her efforts Saturday, one day after claiming gold in the JO 9 (ages 14-plus) all-around competition. She was also part of Team Manitoba that won bronze.

She added another bronze to her collection, scoring 9.000 on the vault, and finished fourth in the other three apparatuses: 8.975 on floor and 8.675 on both the balance beam and uneven bars.

“I know (Friday) was better but I’m happy,” Barahona said. “On the beam I fell but I stuck my combination and I’m happy with that.”

It also marked the first time the 16-year-old Eagle, originally from El Salvador, had competed in what essentially amounted to another all-around event on consecutive days.

Barahona tried to replicate her Friday scores — 9.150 on vault, 8.725 on bars, 9.225 on beam and 9.125 on the floor — but was unable to.

Nonetheless, she was thankful coach Alex Empey kept encouraging her throughout the apparatus finals.

“She was always telling me what to do so I don’t fall and always being positive with me,” Barahona said.

Empey was happy with the way her athletes performed all week at westerns and for a couple of them to reach apparatus finals is “icing on the cake.”

“To see them do fairly well and keep their chins up and be positive and excited for themselves and their teammates it’s just the best feeling as a coach and you can’t really ask for anything more as long as their happy with their performance and they are excited to be there,” Empey said.

The boisterous noise inside the Brandon club Saturday, with gymnasts from all four western provinces, plus the Yukon and Northwest Territories rooting on their fellow teammates made for a tremendous atmosphere.

Nylen really enjoyed the supporting cheers that echoed throughout the competition area.

“I found it actually really upbeat because there’s so many people cheering you on that you know that came from quite far away to come cheer you on and I felt really motivated to do good,” she said.

And it’s that team-first mentality Nylen took note of.

“Even in these competitions it’s more of a team aspect than really an individual aspect,” she said. “I find this builds friends and builds your team.”

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