MEDIA RELEASE
Tasmanian Trampoline Team head to National Championships
A 13-strong Tasmanian Trampoline Sports Team will head to Bendigo next week to take part in the 2008 National Championships.
TIS Scholarship holder and 2007 Junior National Champion, Jack Penny, will compete in the Senior International division for the first time at the Australian Championships against a world class field including Beijing Olympian, Ben Wilden (SA). State Coach, Ben Kelly, believes Penny is preparing well for the Championships and is ready for the challenge. Penny’s recent international experience at the Cup of Flanders in Belgium will give him the motivational edge, especially in the Senior Men’s Double-Mini event where he claimed the silver medal in Flanders.
In the Junior International division, Damien Axelsen will be keen to continue to display exceptional technique in a very strong field previously dominated by Penny. Axelsen has been a finalist in the Junior International Individual and Double-Mini events in multiple State Championships throughout the year, including a gold medal in the Under 17 Men’s Double-Mini event at the recent QLD Championships. Axelsen will be looking to improve his performances in his bid to make the Australian Junior Team to contest the Indo-Pacific Championships in New Zealand later this year. Natalie Skinner, who claimed a silver medal in the Under 15 Women’s Individual Trampoline in QLD will also be vying for a position on this team and is expected to compete well in the Junior International Women’s events.
Youngsters, Patrick Sauerwald and Aidan Collins will both contest the National Age Championships in the Under 13 Men’s divisions. Sauerwald is the reigning Under 11 Men’s Synchronised National Champion, and will be looking to continue this success in the Under 13 Men’s division where he will team up with Collins. Sauerwald and Collins are also likely to perform well in the Under 13 Individual events after Collins won the gold at the QLD Championships and Sauerwald the silver in the NSW Championships.
Other team members include Brett Sinclair, Makonnen Brown, Lauren Skinner, Liam Pitchford, Felix Clark, Matthew Gough, Isabella Kerr, and Jamie Axelsen.
The Tasmanian State Team will take part in a final State Team Training this Sunday 22nd June at the Jumping Jacks Trampoline Club in Rokeby as part of their final preparations for the Championships from 9:30-2:30pm.

For information regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact me on 0414477346 or Ben.Kelly@utas.edu.au