She sticks the landing
Masconomet’s Misiura prevails
TEWKSBURY — Many of the top gymnasts at the Massachusetts High School Gymnastics Coaches State Individual Championships spent most of their time in airports over the last 36 hours. You wouldn’t have known by watching their performance on Monday.
Bella Misiura competed at the well-known Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Sunday with her club team, then flew back overnight to represent Masconomet at the individual state meet at Tewksbury Memorial High School. Her aerial time at the meet wasn’t impacted by her air travel to arrive in time for the meet.
The Penn State-bound senior won the second state individual title of her high school career with an all-around score of 38.825, edging Westford Academy’s Maggie Murphy (38.425).
How exactly did Misiura power through her hectic travel schedule of the last 24 hours?
“Excitement and adrenaline,” she said.
Misiura won three out of four apparatus titles as well, including scoring the day’s highest score, a 9.8, on floor exercise. Displaying pristine form, Misiura opened her routine with a double back, then followed it with two front tumbling passes.
On balance beam, her 9.650 routine featured a steadier wolf turn than many Olympians can do, as well as a layout step-out. She only scored .25 less on uneven bars, the only apparatus title she didn’t claim, and scored 9.725 with her Yurchenko vault.
Murphy’s weekend was similar to Misiura’s. She competed Saturday with her club at the Excalibur Cup in Virginia Beach, Va., then traveled back in time for the state meet.
Runner-up for the second consecutive season, Murphy finished second on beam, floor exercise, and vault. Her best score of the day was her 9.725 on floor, where she completed a routine on par with most on the Division 1 college level. The senior opened with around off hand spring-double twist, and concluded with a pass equally as difficult, a roundoff-handspring-double back.
“It’s the best I have done these routines on every event, and I’m really proud of how I did,” said Murphy, a Maryland commit.
Marblehead/Swampscott senior Maeve McIlroy finished third with a 38.325. The Brown commit posted a 9.475 on her balance beam routine. She had great flow throughout, and included clever skills that showcased her form, including the execution of a cat leap into a split leap.
Kaylee Wescott of Danvers/ Lynnfield overcame a fall on the balance beam to finish fourth (37.275). Her fall on a back handspring stunned her, but after being checked out by medical staff, she remounted and immediately hit a back tuck. Norton’s Ella Defeo (37.075) rounded out the top five with a 9.55 on vault and 9.35 on floor.