Warrnambool Invite 2026: Vivien Artz Edges Poppy Kelson by 0.025 as Strive Shines on Home Turf

Strive Gymnastics hosted the 2026 Warrnambool Invite on 7 May, drawing junior teams and gymnasts from across Victoria’s south-west and over the South Australian border, spanning Level 3 through to a field of one at Level 9.

LEVEL 5, DOWN TO THE THOUSANDTH

Level 5 Division 1 came down to about as fine a margin as gymnastics allows. Vivien Artz (STV) beat clubmate Poppy Kelson (STV) 32.600 to 32.575, a gap of 0.025.

“32.600 to 32.575. A gap of 0.025.”

Division 3 went to Indy Hughes (STV) on 34.900, up from a second-place 34.075 at the same competition last year. Melton’s Zoe Baratta (34.550) and Chelsea Hassell (34.275) took the minor placings, both well ahead of where they finished twelve months ago (31.450 and 31.375). The team event in the same division was just as tight: four teams within roughly two points of top spot, three of them Strive’s, with Melton’s 101.100 splitting the hosts for bronze.

LEVEL 6, MOVING UP AND MOVING ON

Ruby Colgate (STV) won Level 6 Division 3 with 34.200, a year after finishing 10th in Level 5 Division 3 on 32.000. Delnia Darabi (MEL) followed the same path into second on 34.075, up from fourth in Level 5 last year. Strive’s Olivia Emeny and Naomi Kishinaka stayed put in the division and both improved on their 2025 scores. The team event was no contest: Strive’s 104.275 was the highest team score posted anywhere in the meet, more than five points up on their own winning total from last year.

ACROSS THE BORDER

Two clubs made the longest trip of the day. Blue Lake Gym Club, from Mount Gambier, and Millicent Gymnastics Club both crossed the South Australian border to compete. Blue Lake’s Holly Lawrence and Chloe Bickley both stepped up from Level 5 to Level 6 since the last Warrnambool, with Lawrence’s score climbing more than four points to land 7th on 32.450. Blue Lake also brought three teams across Levels 3 and 4, divisions where they didn’t have a team on the board at all last year.

Millicent’s top team in the day’s biggest field, Level 3 Division 3, run across two judging panels to keep the rotation moving, improved on last year’s result to finish third on their side. Strive won its own side of the draw on 103.775, while Hamilton and District topped the other on 101.275. In the individual events, Millicent’s Harper Zalme made her third straight Warrnambool appearance for the club, placing 11th of 27 in Level 5 Division 3. Portland fielded teams across Levels 3 to 5 as well.

A DAY BUILT ON VOLUNTEERS

In its own post-competition thank-you, Strive credited the judges, scorers, the team on the BBQ and coffee cart, and the families who filled the stands. “Great performances, sportsmanship and plenty of smiles” was how the club summed up the weekend, and the results on the floor backed that up. Levels 7 and 8 rounded out the day with individual sessions of their own, featuring athletes from Portland, Balance, and Strive.

Level 9 belonged entirely to Mia McDowell (Portland). No other club made the trip out to Strive’s home floor at that level, and McDowell didn’t treat it as a formality, posting 38.600 with her best work on vault (11.100) and floor (10.350) for a field-of-one performance worth the drive on its own.

It’s a nice piece of context: the local page I Love Portland Victoria named McDowell its first-ever sponsored athlete back in December 2025, pointing to a career that’s run since she was three years old, state championship selections every year since 2018 bar the COVID-affected 2020, a fight back from more than one injury along the way, and a habit of coaching the club’s younger gymnasts between her own competitions.

Full results from the 2026 Warrnambool Invite, including every level and division, are up on the results page. For the full history behind the host club’s big day, from season averages to every athlete on the books, check out the Strive club page.