Darien YMCA Gymnasts in Action Across the State
The Darien YMCA girls and boys gymnastics team were spread across the state in competitions over the weekend of February 10th through 12th. Competing in meets Wilton, Simsbury and Danbury, the action never stopped for the team and coaches.
On Saturday, a small squad competed in a qualifying meet at the Wilton YMCA to earn scores for the upcoming championship meets. The Level 4 gymnasts paced the team, with Penelope Arrendondo earning the top scores on floor with 9.4 and All-Around(AA) in the 9-11 age group. Sofia Geffner scored 9.0 and 9.3 on beam and floor where Annelise Enters flipped to a 9.1. In the 12 and up group, Carly Cambareri had the top floor score with 9.2 where Amelia Kuhn also earned her meet high score.
The Level 3s continued to improve, especially the youngest gymnasts in the 6-8 years group. Elise Hole earned her top score on vault while floor was the best event for Hannah Reyna and Lily Royce. In the 9-11 group, Julia Holmes vaulted to 9.15 while Madeleine McGivney scored a 9.0 on both vault and floor. Jordan Moss flipped to 9.4 on floor and 9.1 on vault. In the 12 and up group, Emily Hopper had the top score on floor with 9.4 and also vaulted to 9.5. Holly Prichard soared to the second highest vault score with 9.6 and earned 9.0 on floor.
At Level 5, Iris West led the scoring with 9.3 on vault and 9.0 on floor while Ali Kolman earned 9.1 on vault. Both gymnasts earned qualifying scores for all YMCA championship meets.
The boy’s gymnastics team continued their successful first season at the Gymnastics Training Center meet in Simsbury. All of the boys compete in Level 4, Division 1 where scores above 10.0 can be earned by performing bonus skills. In the 9-11 age group, Ryland Herzog placed second on parallel bars, rings with 10.7 and high bar with 10.6 as well as fourth on floor and third AA. Nate Smith earned third on both rings with 10.2 and high bar with 10.5 and placed eighth on pommel horse and fifth on vault and AA.
In the 11 and up age group, Jack McDermott and Egor Vasilyev traded places atop the podium. McDermott too the top spot on floor, rings with 10.1, vault, high bar and AA while Vasilyev won the pommel horse and parallel bars events. All of the boys have qualified for the YMCA National Championships in June.
In Danbury, there were three days of action at the Gym Revolution Team Challenge. On Friday, Darien Level 10 gymnast Adnerys DeJesus was the champ on vault, bars and AA with a huge 37.45 and placed second on beam and floor.
Sofia DeStefano led the Level 7 squad, scoring 37.225 to win the AA in the Child age group, and also taking first on vault, bars and beam where she tied with Tori Ware for first. Isabella DeStefano placed third on vault and floor, fourth on beam and seventh AA. Nadia Borja earned fifth on beam and seventh on bars..
The Level 6 team was paced by Abigail Nevin, who won the bars, beam and AA title with 36.975 in the Intermediate group and placed third on floor. Anna Moss took second on vault and fourth on beam, floor and AA. In the Senior group, Lucy Collins was the beam champ with 9.45 and placed sixth AA.
In the Junior group, Olivia Perkins earned fifth on beam and bars and topped the podium on vault, AA and floor where she tied for first with teammate Sofia Iuteri. Iuteri also won the beam title and was fifth on vault. Emma Kelly was fifth on floor and seventh on beam where Sommer Schmidt earned her meet high score.
The Level 5 squad was paced by Anna Altier, who won the beam title in the Intermediate division with 9.5 and placed third on floor, fifth on bars and fourth AA. Lauren Smith placed seventh AA while Anna Primmer earned her meet high score on vault.
In the Junior group, Abby O’Brien placed sixth on vault, second on floor, third AA and fourth on bars and beam. In the Senior group, Melanie Vernal earned her meet high score on beam.
In the Level 4 child division. Ellie Davies was the beam champ with 9.375 and placed fourth on floor. Ava Licata was steady for second on beam, fifth on floor and seventh on vault and AA in the Junior group while Sydney Berk earned her meet high score on beam.
In the Senior group, Tanner Generoso soared to first on vault, fourth on floor, seventh on beam and fifth AA. Brianna Barrientos was fifth on vault and eighth on beam, floor and AA. Alexandra Decsi earned her meet high score on beam.
In the Level 3 Child group, Olivia Davis was the beam champ with 9.55 as well as sixth on floor and AA. Ava Telgheder placed ninth on beam in the Intermediate group.
In the Junior group, Stella Nehro vaulted to second, placed third on bars, eighth on beam and seventh AA. Alex Kuras took sixth on vault, fifth on beam and ninth AA. Katie Primmer earned her meet high score on vault. In the Senior group, Regan Famigletti placed second on beam, sixth on vault and bars and seventh AA.
The girls’ tireless coaches are Vladimir and Valentina Kovalenko, Erin Hunter, Anatolie Vartosu, Daniela Andrei, Robert Ciuculete and Yury Vasilyev, who also coaches the boys team.