MUCH TALENT ON TAP FOR 2021 HS GYMNASTIC SQUADS
In their fifth year of competition, Franklin girls gymnastics is poised for a big leap. The Panthers, who finished sixth at South Sectionals last winter, not only return New England Championships qualifier Kate Rudolph, but boast one of the best roster additions in Level 10 gymnast Emma White.
White, a junior who has stood out on the club gymnastics circuit due to her 5’11” height, is an incredibly strong gymnast with a fabulous vault and stellar uneven bars.
“Emma White will be a show-stopper,” said Franklin head coach Paula Lupien. “We are excited she is part of our team this year and we cannot wait to show what she has.”
Rudolph has made strides in the off-season, upgrading her vault from a tuck Tsukahara to a Yurchenko layout. Reigning Hockomock League All-Star Lexi Lupien is the Panthers’ only competing senior, and she has learned a
Yurchenko tuck vault for her final campaign.
“Vault will be a challenge as far as deciding who to compete, we currently have eight flipping vaults,” said Paula Lupien. “Some are still working out the landing, but we are looking promising.”
Junior Caroline Woelfel, a State Individuals qualifier on floor exercise last year, will join the trio to create a formidable lineup on that apparatus. The Panthers will put out a lineup with multiple double back (pike and tuck) and 1.5 full twist passes.
Lupien’s team has added high-level skills, but she makes sure they haven’t lost sight of the fundamentals. In training, they show off their pointed toes and straight legs, elements that can sometimes disappear when harder skills are on a gymnast’s docket.
“I tell the girls all the time, if your roundoff is wrong, everything behind it will suffer,” said Lupien. “Focus on the very first thing you do whether it is a tumbling pass, a leap pass, jumps on beam, kips on bars. Your first move
ments must be precise and accurate or else everything you do after that has the potential to suffer.”
Another team with first-class fundamentals are the two-time reigning state champions, Masconomet/Lynnfield. Gracy Mowers, last year’s North Sectional all-around champion and three-time NEC/CAL MVP, returns for her senior season. The UNH commit has upgraded her routines and will be the class of the North Shore. Emma Quirk and Greta Mowers, state champions on floor and beam, also return.
Masco is also preparing for the future with the addition of two Level 10s, sophomore Isabella Marques and freshman Isabella Misiura. Marques was one of the best club gymnasts in the state in 2019, and Misiura has been on a steady rise in the region.
This is a squad that, even without their additions, would be heavily considered the region’s best. But with them, this year’s Masconomet team is unstoppable. “This team is looking to be the most talented team I have coached in my high coaching career,” said head coach Alicia Gomes.
Sadly, without MIAA winter championships, the Gracy Mowers-Elizabeth Debroczy high school rivalry has seen its last entry. Debroczy, a junior and the reigning state all-around champion, will lead Algonquin as they seek out a Midland-Wachusett League championship. Head coach Jordan McStay also believes the defending South Sectional champions will benefit from added depth. “This year we have many new gymnasts on the team that have a lot of new amazing talent,” said McStay.
The Middlesex League might be the most competitive league in Eastern Massachusetts this season, with Reading and Wakefield full of excellent competitive club gymnasts. Keep an eye on Wakefield, where Lola Barrett is hoping to close out her high school career in style. She was one of the best uneven bar workers in the state last year, and hopes to compete in college. “Lola is not just an incredibly talented gymnast, but she is a wonderful team member and leader,” said Warriors head coach Rachel Lucas. “When she isn’t practicing her own skills, she is chatting with another athlete about their routines, and she is always cheering on her teammates.”
Despite some key graduation losses, Bridgewater-Raynham/West Bridgewater will still be a player in the South thanks to the experience of senior Jenna Bray, junior Katie Rees and sophomore Katie Russo. Third in the South last season, North
Attleboro will again have a steady floor exercise lineup.
Boys gymnastics is embracing the virtual meet arrangement this season, with judges visiting each team, erasing the need for teams to travel. Six-time state champion Newton has a new leader in Rani Jacobson, who will work alongside longtime coach Tom Steeves. Returners Adrian Michael and Matthew Hassan will captain this year’s squad, which adds Junior Olympic national qualifier Michael Weiner. “The ultimate goal is to keep our season alive and to provide the boys with the opportunity to enjoy the sport and achieve some of their individual appropriate goals,” said Jacobson.
Newton’s closest competition will be Attleboro, where Andrae Butler will wrap up one of the best high school careers in recent memory.