Gymnastics has a core group of returning athletes, but it also has new talent joining the team with varying amounts of gymnastics experience.
The “group has a lot of talent and depth stemming from their individual participation in the sport in the past at both the competitive and noncompetitive levels,” coach Sue Walton said.
“The first meet went well and helped the girls work out all their jitters,” Walton added. “We scored our highest team score [107.9] since I’ve been coaching, but have the potential to score much higher.”
The team came in fifth out of six teams during its Dec. 8 meet at Herndon High School against Herndon, McLean, Robinson, West Springfield and Westfield High schools.
This year’s team consists of twelve gymnasts, two more than last year, five of which are returning members.
Several members have participated in the sport when they were younger or in previous schools.
“The meet went all right. We needed the first meet to just get used to competing,” second-year gymnast Casey Howard, sophomore, said.
Many of the gymnasts participated in gymnastics or dance in previous years so they felt that they were very well prepared for the first meet this year.
“I think our team was more prepared for the meet than it was last year,” second year gymnast Emily Cowen, sophomore, said.
“Everyone on the team will be competing with strong routines on at least one event.”
Gymnasts Elisabetta Ianetti, junior, and her sister Giorgia Iannetti, freshman, came to the team from Italy where they did gymnastics and brought a “high level of dance and solid skills to the team,” according to Walton.
Junior Alejandra Gonzales, who competed in gymnastics in Bolivia, brings extensive skills on bars and vault along with a strong desire to learn and try new events.
Out of the twelve-gymnast team only three of them, Isabelle Therriault, Nicole Pope and Hannah Van Buskirk, have not participated in the sport before.
“There’s a rush that comes with competing in front of judges and other teams that you can’t get anywhere else,” Cowen said.
“I think the rest of the team was just as excited, especially the girls who are new to competition”
The team’s next competition is on Jan. 9.