Three squads on rise in Cranberry
If you want a preview of February’s MIAA South Sectional gymnastics championships, stop by a regular-season Cranberry League meet.
Between up-and-comer
Notre Dame (Hingham), longtime powerhouse BridgewaterRaynham/West Bridgewater, and new co-op Falmouth/Mashpee/Barnstable, the league has at least three teams jockeying for sectional spots.
A sectional berth has been a long time coming for Notre Dame. The Cougars haven’t made sectionals since 2018. Before that, their last appearance was in 2012. But the Cougars believe this is their year to be among the best in the South.
Notre Dame’s success this season isn’t from the addition of a Level 10 club gymnast or a freshman phenom. It is because the roster is finally healthy for the first time. The depth is allowing the Cougars to compete in an incredibly deep league.
“This year it is all the same girls as last year,” said Notre Dame coach Nicole Johnson.
“This is the first year I have had them all healthy.”
Shoulder and ankle injuries sidelined some of the Cougars’ best gymnasts last winter. Their meet scores would be in the 134135 range, fine for many squads but difficult to make sectionals in the competitive South. However, last week Notre Dame hit its highest tally in several years: a 139.05 in a Cranberry League loss to Falmouth/Mashpee/ Barnstable.
Powering Notre Dame is senior captain and all-arounder Katie McCormack, who is scoring 9.1 or above in all events, though her strongest is vault.
“She helps others work through their mistakes,” said Johnson.
Senior Emily Lembo has brought depth to the Cougars, with her score counting in all events. Another senior, Lily DeGiacomo, was one of the athletes sidelined last season, because of an ankle injury. She started this season focusing on uneven bars but stepped up just in time for some of Notre
Dame’s toughest regular-season meets.
“We moved her to beam the last two meets and she has been a big help,” said Johnson.
Sophomore Sophia Chavez
has filled in where needed.
“She is usually on three events, but she stepped into the all-around for us and did well,” said Johnson. “Floor is her best event.”
The Cougars’ roster is relatively small compared with the longtime powers, but they are now able to put up state-competitive scores in all four events.
“Now that we have been earning scores like that, our goal is definitely to make sectionals,” said Johnson.
B-R/WB has been one of the South’s dominant teams over the last nine years, and that remains true, as it has earned team scores of 140 or greater over the first few weeks of the season.
“We are pretty strong on all four events,” said coach Stephen Cudworth.
B-R/WB returns much of its lineup, including Katie Russo,
who was ninth in the all-around at last year’s state championships. Russo is returning from a torn meniscus, for which she had surgery in September.
“She has only been doing two events,” said Cudworth. “But she will be returning to the allaround soon.”
The talent pipeline continues with freshman Lily Moreira, who already has made the team’s all-around lineup. She led the way with a 35.35 against Carver/Middleboro on Wednesday, and her scores in uneven bars are especially helpful.
Joining B-R/WB in the 140plus club is Falmouth/Mashpee/ Barnstable. When 12-time state champion Barnstable and its Cape Cod counterparts didn’t have enough gymnasts to field their own squads this December, they formed a co-op that scored a 141.9 in its first meet.
“We have five seniors looking forward to going out the best they have ever been,” said Shailey Pires, who is coaching the squad alongside Duncan Chase.
One of those seniors is Ava Kelley, one of the state’s best allarounders for several years, consistently placing in the top 10 at sectional and state individuals. Joining her in the all-around is senior Jackie Mahassel, the team’s best at bars.
Challengers in North
Defending state champion Masconomet and Reading, last year’s fourth-place finisher, continue to pace the North, but two other teams have emerged as strong contenders.
Danvers called up eighthgrader Kaylee Wescott, who is scoring 9.8 on floor exercise and winning all-around titles with scores such as 38.35, which would have been second at last year’s state championships. In their first two meets of the season, the Falcons earned scores of 145.55 and 146.65, which would have made them runnersup at last year’s states.
After a few years of struggling with roster depth, Central Catholic is back, with scores of 144 and 146. Cami Rueda has joined the Raiders in her senior year, and the Level 10 club gymnast is contributing 9.75s on vault and 9.6s on uneven bars.
Riley Salerno, Central Catholic’s key cog for several years, and Julia Turrisi are contributing strong all-around scores.
Still going strong
After an offseason of uncertainty, there is still boys’ high school gymnastics in Massachusetts. The four remaining teams compete in quad meets, with defending state champion Burlington undefeated. Braintree and the Newton co-op have been trading second-place finishes. Though struggling with numbers, Lowell returns Lorenzo Leary, who has been earning 9.0s on vault.
“[The gymnasts] are so grateful to continue in the only sport most of them participate in,” said Burlington coach Jourdan Marino. “We have newcomers who have no experience in the sport, and they are thriving in and out of the gym. Their attendance is up, their grades are up, and they have found a place in the high school community after the bell.”