Hand takes second, Warde fourth

FAIRFIELD — Taylor Markley from Woodstock Academy and Emma White from Franklin High (MA) put on a show at the 26th annual New England Girls Gymnastics Championship held at Fairfield Warde.

Markley passed the eye test when the junior posted scores of 9.825 on vault and 9.750 on uneven bars. Those numbers had an entourage from Franklin looking up her bio on their cell phones and sharing that info.

White, a senior, did not need a deep dive into the internet by her fellow Panthers. She brought fans to their feet when she put together an uneven bar routine of 9.975 to close the event. That gave her the New England title with an all-around of 39.00. Markley was second at 38.175.

Franklin with 148.20 won the team title. Daniel Hand was second at 143.225. Woodstock Academy was third with 143.10.

Hand coach Kelly Smith said: “How can you not be ecstatic when you set a school record in your last meet of the year. We had a really good day in our last meet with our seniors who we love so much.”

Fairfield Warde placed fourth with a score of 141.85. Emma Johnson was sixth around with 37.225.

“We did extremely well and had fun,” Warde coach Darcy Appleby said. “This is our first time competing at New Englands as a team in my 25 years. This group worked together well.”

SIGHT UNSEEN

Markley and White had never competed on the same mat, but that didn’t mean they weren’t on each other’s radar.

“Coach (Kasey) Tocchio told me she had scored a 39.9 last week in their state meet,” said Markley, who tacked on scores of 9.1 on balance beam and 9.5 in floor exercise. “Every week we accomplished so much. I’m happy with my day.”

White said: “(Markley) was amazing. We were both competing, but I saw her scores. It was a great day for us at our first New England meet. I thought last week (winning state titles in beam, floor, and all around) was so special. This was our best week of the season.”

White opened with a 9.6 on balance beam. Cheers enveloped the gym for White, who had judges not involved in scoring turn to watch her post a 9.7 on floor exercise. She then one-upped herself with a 9.85 on vault (.05 short of New Milford’s Jeanna Bradle’s 9.9 set in 2006).

Woodstock won New England titles in 2012 and 2014. It was third the last time the meet was held in 2019.

Newton South (MA) won the last NE title with a score of 149.30 in 2019. Woodstock Academy was third at 144.50.