Finally vaulting into new season
It won’t be a perfect-10 kind of season in gymnastics, but it is still one for the record books.
Saratoga Springs gymnastics coach Deb Smarro was supposed to be experiencing yet another post- Olympic boost this year. In her role as coach of the region’s dominant team and as Section II gymnastics coordinator, she advocates for a sport dwindling in numbers.
Despite a pandemic, a semblance of a season is scheduled. It started Sunday, eight weeks late.
About 60 athletes from Saratoga Springs, Bethlehem, Guilderland and Shaker participated in a fundraising meet Sunday at World Class Gymnastics Academy in Latham. This year’s Section II gymnastics schedule is limited to Suburban Council dual matches and three other overall meets — including a Suburban Council championship — with no outside competition.
How can that be safe? Teams this year have staggered meet times — all of the athletes won’t be in the gym competing at the same time. That is just one of the extensive protocol rules being enforced in Section II to compete as safely as possible. Gymnastics is considered a moderate risk sport in New York.
Smarro and her team are relieved to start their season after a long period of uncertainty.
“Waiting for the decision was the toughest part for them,” Smarro said. “The decisions have been happening so late, it increased the anxiety for them, but things have settled in pretty nicely. They understand what we’re trying to accomplish after losing eight weeks of the season
so far. They’re really thankful that they have the opportunity.”
Smarro, who competed in gymnastics at Shaker High, is a longtime coach at both Saratoga Springs and the World Class Gymnastics Academy. She said she believes the high school experience is essential to the development of gymnasts.
“People like to say gymnastics is a ‘dying sport,’ ” Smarro said, “but it’s one of those popular Olympic sports that grows in popularity when the Olympic years roll around.”
With the Tokyo Olympics rescheduled for this summer, Smarro is anticipating yet another influx in gymnasts.
“Our job as high school coaches is to keep it alive and give opportunities for kids that may not be able to afford the club programming,” Smarro said, noting that the club experience is more about individual development than team competition “They just want to be able to support their school and wear their school colors. High school programs teach these kids how to cheer for their teammates, how important their routine is in regard to their role on the team.”
They also learn life lessons. With anxiety high, she has incorporated yoga into her team’s workout routines and developed other programs geared toward positive mental health and preparation for competition.
Saratoga Springs gymnasts have advanced to compete in college. Most recently, Abby Zabielski earned a spot on the Rhode Island gymnastics team, and Courtney Kirshe joined Clemson’s club team. Club-level college teams are a hefty commitment and provide a high level of competition in a sport that has limited college opportunities because of budget cutbacks.
Smarro said her team is still inspired by the Capital Region appearance of Olympic great Nadia Comaneci’s during the Aurora Games in 2019. Comaneci, the Romanian gymnast who in the 1976 Summer Olympics at Montreal was the first to earn a perfect 10 in gymnastics, visited the athletes and gave individual tips during a practice at Wilton YMCA, the team’s home facility.
Blue Streaks gymnasts also attended the Aurora Games, joining a boisterous crowd of more than 4,000
witnessing Olympic-level talent. It was by far the most popular event during the festival celebrating women in athletics.
Seniors Ava Dallas and Sophia Damiano are finishing off spectacular careers for the Blue Streaks. Dallas as a junior was the top Section II finisher in all-around at states, coming in 13th with a score of 35.825. She took second in all-around at sectionals. Damiano was named the Times Union’s gymnastics Athlete of the Year last season. She was the allaround sectional champion and broke two sectional tournament records.
Saratoga also swept the top three all-around positions for the second year in a row. Junior Carly Ruschack was third in all-around at sectionals and qualified for all-around at states.
Dallas and Damiano have placed in the top three all-around in Section II gymnastics in all three years they have competed for the Blue Streaks and up until Sunday shared the Section II vault record (9.475).
Damiano smashed the record Sun
day with a 9.65 on the vault.
“We’re hoping that both of them can break the record again this season,” Smarro said.
Whatever happens this year would be an exclamation point to their careers, which they both hope to continue in college.
The school earned its 19th consecutive Section II championship in 2020. The team won’t have a chance to go for its 20th this season with all winter sport sectionals and state championships canceled. The highlighted meets of the season are the All-around Meet on Feb. 10 at Wilton YMCA and the Suburban Council championship on Feb. 14 at World Class Gymnastics.
Sunday’s event also served as a fundraiser for Hatsgiving, an organization supporting Capital Region pediatric cancer patients. To donate, go to Hatsgiving.org.