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Winners

This is the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team. Courtesy photo.

 

 

 

By Ron P. Coderre

No matter how you slice it; dice it; dissect it; or analyze it the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team are Triple Crown winners.  Under the constant guidance and leadership of coach Robin Deary-Fillmore the Centaur gymnasts deserve to be recognized for the trifectas they’ve strung together this year and over the years.

In looking at 2014 Deary-Fillmore’s young ladies already have achieved a Triple Crown this season, having won the Eastern Connecticut Conference Championships, the State Class S title and most recently the Connecticut State Open competition.  

The State Class S was the fourth consecutive year in which Woodstock has taken that honor.  To say that they were prohibitive favorites going into the Open competition is an understatement.  Despite the pressure of going for another Triple Crown, winning the Open title for the third year in a row, the Academy gymnasts proved they were true champions by capturing the crown and posting a score of more than 150 for the third time this year in Championship competition.

By the way, I guess that qualifies as another version of the Triple Crown for these amazing acrobats of the mats, beam, vault and bars.   

In winning the State Open March 8 at New Milford High School, far away from home, the Centaurs easily outdistanced second-place finisher Daniel Hand High School of Madison 150.5 to 142.7.  Third place in the competition went to Southington with a mark of 137.65 and fourth to Trumbull at 135.425.

Although Connecticut’s flagship newspaper, The Hartford Courant, failed to give Woodstock headline billing, this team deserves recognition for the way it’s performed not only this season but for all the previous championship seasons.  What they’ve accomplished is a truly remarkable feat in the history of Connecticut high school gymnastics, one that won’t be achieved in the near future, unless of course it’s by Deary-Fillmore Woodstock teams.

Leading the way for the Centaurs in the Open competition was a pair of freshmen, Paige Stuyniski and Grace Logan.  The fact that they are only in their first year at Woodstock Academy bodes well for the future of the Academy Road school.

Stuyniski in pacing the Centaur win posted an All-around score of 38.35, while her fellow frosh, Logan was right behind at 37.825.  Another Academy gymnast, Courtney Osborn, finished fourth with a score of 37.250.  Senior Bree Hussong, who for the past three years has been Woodstock’s standard bearer, was sixth with a score of 36.9 and Jacqueline Deary finished ninth at 36.225. 

The lithe Stuyniski was the top performer in the beam and floor events and posted third-place finishes in the vault and bars.  Logan was a Gold winner in the vault and bars and finished second behind Stuyniski in the floor exercise.  Osborn was consistent with a pair of second place finishes in the vault and bars, while the veteran Hussong tied for second in the beam.

Thanks to the success of the program, the Centaurs will be sending four gymnasts to the New England Championships.  On Saturday, March 15 the quartet of Stuyniski, Logan, Osborn and Hussong will compete at Algonquin Regional High School for yet another crown. 

There have been some great dynasties in sports.  The great teams of the New York Yankees, Boston Celtics and Montreal Canadiens come to mind immediately.  Horse racing’s Triple Crown, which consists of the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, has had some memorable winners, namely Secretariat, Citation, Seattle Slew and Whirlaway.

The success of the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team has certainly put a target on the back of the gymnasts but like all great dynasties and Triple Crown winners they are able to rise up to the challenge and demonstrate the true makeup of champions.

 

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