Gymnasts show promise despite close loss to OA

The CHS gymnastics team had a tough start to the 2012-2013 campaign, with a disappointing loss to Oliver Ames this past Saturday. Falling short by less than a point, the squad fell to the Tigers 130.35-129.5 in its home opener.

Senior captain Jessie Brooks (Mike Barucci photo)

While nerves seemed to get the best of them against OA, the squad has a talented crew of veterans and newcomers who will use this first loss as a learning experience.

Among the returning gymnasts is senior captain Jessie Brooks, who was an integral part of last year’s turnaround season. Lizzy Doherty, a force on the vault, joins Brooks as co-captain. In addition, sophomores Meghan Peters and Abby Green return after last year’s standout performances in all-arounds. Meanwhile, freshman Stephanie Milne is poised to be the new sensation, rounding out a group of talented gymnasts.

In their first meet, the girls came close to edging out the competition thanks to key routines by Milne and Greene. Milne, who competes in the all-around, placed third on the beam with an 8.2, second on the vault with a 9.1, and first on the floor with an 8.45. Green, the other all-around, saw third-place finishes on both bars (8.5) and floor (8.15).

Coach Carla King was proud of their efforts, saying “both girls are looking really strong in all four events.” King went on to praise Brooks and Peters, who she said are “improving every day.”

Disappointed with the defeat, King felt this first meet would serve as a wake-up call for her squad, who has looked strong in practice.

“We should’ve won this meet,” she said. “After this loss, we definitely know where we need to improve. We have a great group of girls who truly work so great together and are a pleasure to coach. They just need to tune up their routines, and we will be all set.”

The team next sees competition on Saturday, January 12, when the girls travel to Walpole High School to compete against King Philip.

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Posted by Holly Erickson on Jan 10 2013. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.