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Hoping for
11th straight
gymnastics
state championship
After a year of competing virtually, the high school gymnastics season has returned to a more normal place in 2021-22.
For the Woodstock Academy program, that means meets at Deary’s Gymnastics in Danielson.
The Centaurs opened last week with a 130.4-125.25 win over Killingly.
Coach Kasey Tocchio said, “I think it’s even more exciting after not having a real season. Every year, it’s the same kind of thing, the season starts but not having that (last year), and I think everyone is really excited to get back into the team atmosphere and competing. Everyone is really ready.”
Two key performers for the Centaurs will start the season watching their teammates for the most part.
Junior Taylor Markley has been battling multiple injuries, illness and rust. She is getting better, however, and did a few routines in the season opener, winning the bars competition with a 9.4 score.
“She is a beyond talented kid so we’re praying that come, hopefully, the middle of January that we will see her (in full competition). When you do see her, her name will just be everywhere,” Tocchio said. “The health issues are out of our control. It breaks my heart for her because not only is she talented, she leads by example, works hard and is such a leader in the gym. She deserves to be able to go out there and show what an awesome gymnast she is.”
Top incoming freshman, Olivia Aleman, will not be cleared until the end of December so she will likely miss the first two meets. “She will be able to do some watered- down routines by the beginning of January and for her, a watered-down routine is really good. Hopefully, by the end of the season, she will be able to show her true potential,” Tocchio said. Aleman is a Level-10 performer in USA gymnastics.
The Centaurs do have some healthy performers — seniors Lindsey Gillies and Hannah Bell are both ready to go.
“I just want to do the best that I can,” Bell said. “I’m probably not going to continue after high school so this will be a nice final opportunity.”
Gillies showed what she was capable of against Killingly as she topped the performers among the two teams with an All-Around performance of 33.45. The senior finished third in the vault (8.8) and third on bars (8.5).
Also on the team is junior Madison Martinez. She finished third in the floor competition with an 8.7 and finished with a 31.5 All-Around score, equal to that of one of the newer Centaurs, Livia Gerum.
The Centaurs also have newcomers in addition to Aleman and Gerum with sophomore Paulina Oldag and freshmen Allie Boyd, Angelina Auger and Estella Becker-Pombo.
Oldag and Becker-Pombo are both rhythmic gymnasts in Europe which is a bit different from the American high school style.
“It’s not as powerful as our sport, kind of on the ‘dancier’ side and we won’t have them at the beginning either, because they’re going home for the holidays. We’re going to have to push through the first two meets,” Tocchio said.
The Centaurs have a bit of a tradition to uphold. They have won the last 10 state championships they have competed in, winning Class M in 2011 and ’12 and Class S from 2013-20.
“That’s the goal,” Bell said of winning another state title. “Coach was talking to us about that (recently). She said she has a lot of pride in our team and wants to keep it going. That’s a little pressure but I agree with her and want to do really well this season.”
“If we’re healthy, we have the chance to be very good,” Tocchio said. “Between Taylor, Olivia and Lindsey, those three are top scorers and we have a bunch of girls who are capable of high scores. I think we have a team that has the potential to go really far. It’s just keeping everyone healthy.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
Gymnastics Seniors
Lindsey Gillies, left, and Hannah Bell are the only two seniors on the Woodstock Academy gymnastics team this season as it seeks its 11th straight state championship Photo by Kasey Tocchio.
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