Dominique Pegg of Sarnia, Ont., took the lead in the women’s senior competition at the 2011 Canadian gymnastics championships on Tuesday with a steady performance on all four apparatus in the qualifying round.

Pegg was second on vault and uneven bars and third on beam and floor for a total score of 53.900. Kristin Klarenbach of Edmonton tied for third with Pegg on floor and was also third on vault to finish second all around in a field of 24 competitors with a score of 52.675 and Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto of Montreal placed third at 52.600. Jessica Savona of Oakville, Ont., sparkled on floor and vault but it wasn’t enough to lift her into the top three after several falls on her uneven bars routine, dropping her to fourth with a score of 52.250.

“I’m a little surprised to be in the lead because I’m just getting back from an injury,” said Pegg. “The problem started in August and it’s been a long time coming back.  But I’ve stayed positive and my plan was to do the kind of consistent routines I’ve been doing in practice.”

Madeline Gardiner of Cambridge, Ont., last year’s runner-up and a strong contender this year, faltered on floor and uneven bars and had to settle for ninth overall. This year’s championships also marked the return to competition of 2009 world team member Brittany Rogers of Coquitlam, B.C., after a longer than expected recovery from a broken bone in her ankle.

“I’ve just been able to start tumbling again in the last five weeks,” said Rogers, one of the country’s top gymnasts prior to breaking the ankle on a beam dismount at the 2010 Pacific Championships over a year ago.

“I’m not as strong and my skills are not as high right now so it’s a matter of competing and getting back in the game to see where my head’s at have fun with it,” said Rogers who finished 16th overall and earned her best result on vault with a sixth place.

Missing from this year’s event are defending champion Kristina Vaculik of Whitby, Ont., who is finishing up her first year on a gymnastics scholarship at Stanford University and 2010 Elite Canada all around winner Peng Peng Lee of Toronto who dislocated a knee in training recently and is out of action for six to eight weeks. In the junior qualification, Victoria Moors of Cambridge, Ont., placed first overall followed by Natalie Vaculik of Whitby, Ont., and Kaitland  Hofland of Toronto in second and third respectively. The women’s junior and senior competitions continue on Thursday and the novice gymnasts take the floor on Wednesday.