GYMNASTICS: Two gymnasts from Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club gained fourth and fifth places in the recent National Gymnastic finals held at Birmingham.Lilly Black scored extremely highly and finished the championships one place ahead of her team-mate Charlotte Cattermole.

Two gymnasts from Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club gained fourth and fifth places in the recent National Gymnastic finals held at Birmingham.

Lilly Black scored extremely highly and finished the championships one place ahead of her team-mate Charlotte Cattermole.

The two eight-year-olds competed in the grade four section of the competition, where competitors are no older than eight.

This is also the youngest age gymnasts can compete at national standard.

Both girls scored well considering the standard was exceptionally high. They both achieved some of the highest marks of the day with Lilly producing some of her finest gymnastics to help the Piper's Vale team to a silver medal place.

All that was left was to see where the girls came individually.

Andy Wood, Piper's Vale head coach, was proud of his gymnasts. "This is a fantastic achievement considering it was their first national final. They held it together well and showed great character in their performances."

"This is a really great start to their career and their coaches, Tony and Freda Whetstone have to take the credit for the hard work they have put into the girls."

At the same competition, a day later, other gymnasts from the Ipswich club competed in the grade for nine-year-olds.

Yet again the girls battled to the end, scoring higher than in the qualifying round but because of the quality of the competition the team could only finish seventh.

The individual placings were, Charlotte Beeson 23rd, Yasmin Cook 26th, and Natasha Wood 46th.