Islands Gymnastics took home first place in five different age groups during an off-Island meet this past weekend.
Ranging in ages from ages 8 to 15, gymnasts competed in all four events — bars, vault, floor, and beam — in three different competition levels: silver, gold, and platinum.
Competing against Bourne, Canton, and East Bridgewater, five of eight Island Gymnastic team members took home gold in the all around competition for their age group. Four team members qualified for the all star division in future meets as well, a more competitive division.
The gymnasts had to work through some adversity after some fell during their bar and vault events.
“For these girls to come back after these big falls and turn out stellar performances on the following events is a testament to their toughness and resilience as athletes,” said coach Beth Goodell. “I was really impressed by the example they set for their teammates and it was moving to see the way they rallied around each other and moved forward together as a team coming out of those challenges.”
In the 6 to 8-year-old division, eight-year-old Abella Jimenez from Edgartown placed first with a score of 37.2. Eight-year-old Kira Agnew from Tisbury placed fourth with an all around score of 36.4. Agnew also had the most consistent performance on the team, with all four of her event scores sitting within .25 points of one another. Both qualified for the all star meet.
At the gold level in the nine-to-eleven-year-old division, nine-year-old Estelle Mason from Chilmark placed first with an all around score of 37.3, after putting up an almost perfect 9.8 on the beam. Ten-year-old Emanuela Aguilar placed second with an all around score of 36.8 and posted the team’s highest bar score at 9.45. Kinsley Tarter placed third, narrowly missing all stars by 0.05 points, despite posting strong finishes on vault and bars.
At the gold level in the 12-and-older division, twelve-year-old Gabriela Barros from Oak Bluffs placed first with an all around score of 35.4. After falling off the bar in the first event, Barros rebounded and put up strong scores across the next three events, including a 9.45 on the vault and a 9.5 on the floor.
At the platinum level, twelve-year-old Zoey Lundberg from Tisbury and fifteen-year-old Ruby Russell from Chilmark stunned the crowd when they tied for first place with an all around score of 36.65 for the second time this season. After falling on the vault, Lundberg came back strong posting a 9.7 on the floor.
Coach Goodell was impressed by the team’s composure under pressure.
“These gymnasts really held it together despite the pressure inherent in competition. I am so excited to watch them learn, grow, and continue to perform at such a high level at the Championship in May.”
The teams next meet is on April 13th, providing the Island gymnastics bronze level gymnast to get a taste of competitions before a league championship in May on the Cape.
