THE 2016 West Country League opened at the Wiltshire School of Gymnastics in Melksham on Sunday, where Chippenham’s Moonraker club sent a party of competitors.

Following success in the 2015 League, the Moonraker club earned promotion into Division Two of five and entered teams into all three leagues – A, B and C – for the first time.

The A league team - Ellie Kimber, Emily Macklin-Day, Eva Falcone-Healy, Katie Box, Laura Findlay and Chloe Searle, all aged under 11 - finished in bronze medal position.

For the B League, Moonrakers team was much younger than the limit of 13, with an average age of 11, but Jenny Francklin, Lauren Searle, Amber Tiley, Ellie Treacy, Freya Gleed and Sophie Townsend clinched gold.

It was the first time the club has entered a C League team into the competition, competing to full international competition rules and requirements .

The team of Katie Strange, Morgan Sanderson, Maisie Russell, Kelsey Stokes and Charlotte Townsend used the event to try a large number of new skills, ending the day in the gold medal position.

The league continues in October with round two at the Forest of Dean, concluding at the finals in Melksham in November.

The Moonraker gymnasts are next in action at the Wiltshire Levels event in Melksham on Sunday, July 3.

For further information on the classes offered by the club visit www.chippenhamgymnastics.co.uk.