- Details
- Category: Current Issue
caption:
Moment of Pride
The Woodstock Academy gymnastics team proudly displays its plaque for finishing third overall in the New England gymnastics championship meet March 12. Photo courtesy of Kasey Tocchio/The Woodstock Academy.
The Woodstock Academy gymnastics team saved its best for last.
Unfortunately for the Centaurs, so did Franklin, Mass., and Daniel Hand High School.
The Centaurs finished with a 143.1 total in the New England Gymnastics championship March 12.
Franklin, however, paced the field with a 148.2 total and Daniel Hand had its best performance of the season as a team with a 143.225 to finish second just ahead of the Centaurs. Nine New England schools competed.
“I feel like we had some of our best performances (March 12). We really did a good job. It was an awesome end to our season to be able to score two points higher (than the Centaurs had all season) and finish on a high,” said coach Kasey Tocchio. “Franklin was awesome; they had some really great kids. Daniel Hand just hit a great meet.”
Woodstock junior Taylor Markley finished second in the individual competition with a 38.175 All-Around total.
Emma White of Franklin posted a 39.0 to take home the title of individual New England champion.
“It was awesome,” Tocchio said of Markley’s runner-up finish. “No one is really happy with second place, but the girl who won was just phenomenal. She’s a senior, was absolutely beautiful and it’s cool to watch that. For Taylor to see that she’s up there will just make her hungrier for next year. I think she was happy.”
The Centaurs started on vault and did very well. Markley finished second overall with a 9.825 and freshman Olivia Aleman posted her best score of the season, getting a 9.475 and a sixth-place individual finish. The team finished second as a whole with a 37.0
They followed that with another good performance on bars, a fourth-best 35.425 total, with Markley again getting second place with a 9.75.
But the great equalizer lay ahead and the Centaurs did not do so well on beam. Markley fell off the beam on her last skill, a front aerial, but still finished with a more than respectable 9.1.
The Centaurs finished tied for sixth on the apparatus with a 34.6. But they did not go into their final event, the floor, with their heads hanging.
“Taylor was upset with beam, but for her to come back, show she was a captain, pick herself and the team up to go over to floor. I’m just so proud of her,” Tocchio said.
The Centaurs finished with a 36.075 on the floor with Markley finishing second again with a 9.5 while Aleman placed fifth with a 9.375.
Tocchio said it was a good ending to what was a good season especially at the end where the Centaurs captured the ECC title, the Class M state team championship and the State Open championship.
“It built all year long like we were hoping that it would after everyone came back from injuries. When the kids were there, we just kept pushing every week and just kept getting better. That’s all I could ask,” the coach said.
The experience will be helpful.
“We have a really young team. I feel like we usually have a little more diversity with it so it was good to show that we could go far this year and, hopefully, that helps the freshmen to be able to lead this team and move forward. The freshmen on the team know they have to pull their own weight next season” Tocchio said.
The Centaurs lose only one impactful gymnast, Lindsey Gillies, to graduation.
“Lindsey will be a tough loss next year,” Tocchio said. “We’re already talking and Maddie (Martinez) had a great meet (Saturday). She competes in three events and was our fourth scorer in all three events. She was our MVP. She’s excited to really train, step up and improve her scores.”
The Centaurs will have Markley back for her senior season and a, hopefully, healthy Aleman back for her sophomore campaign. But especially with the departure of Gillies, the Centaurs need people to step up into the third and fourth scorer’s role.
“We have some work to do to fill those spots,” Tocchio said. “Olivia will come back really strong, Taylor should come back really confident. Maddie is capable of moving up and there is definitely some talent on the team that can be pushed and worked hard. They know how important those third and fourth scores are now and I think and hope, they’re ready to step up.”
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
..