The Darien Y gymnastics team stretches during the warm-up session before the start of the 2012 YMCA Regional Championships in Glen Falls, NY. Photo by Reina McCuskey.
It was an outstanding weekend for the Darien Y Gymnastics team at the YMCA Regional Championships in Glen Falls, NY. The travel and house teams combined for first place showings in five out of seven levels in a competition that drew over 30 YMCA gymnastics teams.
One of the team’s youngest gymnasts, 8-year-old Christina Pizzani, placed first overall among the Level 4 competitors, with a 37.5 all-around score. Teammates Elizabeth Canelli and Tam Hao Ngyuyen both placed 12th.
Nine-year old Katie Asness finished third, while Juliana Jordao placed sixth and Montana Osinski captured 12th with an 8.85 on floor.
Within the 10-year-old age group, Hannah Knight took fifth place. Other contributors included Kerry McDermott, Alexa Carrero, Emma Williams and Emma Koerner.
Eleven-year-old Sophia Font and Lily Fairleigh finished in the top ten on vault, scoring 9.025 and 8.85, respectively.
Twelve-year old Sophia Blue finished first on floor, while Caroline Kiesling finished 14th on beam.
Over 23 Level 5 gymnasts from the Darien Y qualified for the meet. Nine-year old Octavia Molkenthin placed fourth overall. Lana Schmidt scored a 9.1 on floor for eighth and Tess Keating scored an 8.9 on vault for fifth.
Ten-year old Annsley Martin, Ginna Cardini, Kaitlyn Moussignac and Emma Hunter took second, third, sixth, and eighth, respectively, in the all-around competition. Other contributors included Tiffany Chan, Lucy Holzinger, Mackenzie Biele, and Dorothy Browning.
Elana Savas finished first overall among the 11-year-olds, including a notable 9.65 on floor. Teammates Wren Stewart and Natalie Bravo finished fifth and eighth, respectively.
Twelve-year old Emma Hinton’s sixth place in the all-around competition included a notable 9.55 on beam. Other 12-year old contributors included Jennie Spellman, Meredith McCuskey, Caitlin Spellman, Laura Germishuys, Lydia Groves and Toni Cardini.
Sisters Fiona Brock and Aisling Brock took the top two spots within the 13-year-old age group, while Sarah Brindisi placed ninth.
Level 6 gymnasts Kellie Arevalo and Kelsey Fedorko completed the competition with the team’s highest overall scores of 38.025 and 37.850, respectively. Quin Wolters and Isabel Hansen, also age 11, contributed with fourth and fifth place finishes overall. Teammate Tierney Schiff scored an impressive 9.35 on beam.
Nicole Carlo finished at the top of her 10-year-old age group, placing first on every apparatus, and scoring an outstanding 9.675 on floor.
Charlotte Henry finished second among the 13-year olds, scoring a 9.3 on vault.
Kajsa Lundeen and Courtney Duker finished first and seventh overall in the 15-18 Intermediate Prep division.
Ellie Lufkin and Julia Murray finished fourth and seventh overall in the 13-14-year-old competition. Halie Metz and Emily Medwid finished in the top ten on bars.
Samantha Gunn led the Level 7 gymnasts with third place overall within the 15-year old age group, while Perri Mirabile and Lauren Chung contributed sixth and seventh places, respectively, among the 14 year-old age group.
Level 8 gymnasts Adnerys DeJesus, Christina Crowell and Jessica Freiheit swept the competition with first, second, and third place finishes overall in the 9-13 year old age group.
Alissa Chan placed first on beam, while teammate Samantha Karpenos finished eighth on bars in the 14-15 year old age group.
In the 16-18 age group, Hayley Holzinger won first on vault, and Lauren Medwid took second on beam and floor.
Within the 14-16 year old age group at Level 9, Perry Kindel finished first on vault and floor, while Stephanie Klokiw placed first overall, scoring 34.175.
Due to conflicts, injury and illness, the Darien Y gymnastics team missed several standout gymnasts during the competition, including Samantha Aparicio, Christina Brandt, Samantha D’Andrea, Maeve DeGulis, Charlotte Frank, Kelly Houston, Stella Kamensky, Elise Mercein, Mary Pat Murtagh, Alexandra Nason, Katherine Mosher, Jane Ogden and Kate Wolters.
Gymnastics Director John Schwartz was impressed with the team’s efforts.
“Darien Y had a fantastic showing at Regionals,” Schwartz said. “Once again we showed the thirty-plus teams that we have a top-rate program with amazing gymnasts. Along with the many, great individual performances, we were quite successful in the team category, capturing first place in five out of seven levels.”
Both the travel and house teams will compete at the YMCA National Championships in Milwaukee, WI at the end of June.
Darien coach Erin Hunter spots Meredith McCuskey on the vault during the warm-up session before the start of the 2012 YMCA Regional Championships in Glen Falls, NY. Photo by Reina McCuskey.
