Expect another close race for county gymnastics

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Expect another close race for county gymnastics

by James Peters | Staff Writer

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The race for the Montgomery County Public Schools gymnastics title was extremely tight last spring. A mere three points separated the top three teams: Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Walter Johnson and Blake.

With all three of those rivals returning and adding numerous talented gymnasts, this year’s chase for top honors could be even more thrilling.

B-CC, which won the county and state meets a year ago, showed it is ready to defend those crowns with a county-high 180.3-point performance to open the season last Thursday against Sherwood (168.5) and Springbrook (153.6). Sophomores Ebony Walters (37.65) and Steph Golob (37.0) and senior Katie Pelton (35.45), took first, second and fifth place, respectively, in the all-around at that meet.

Those three will lead a talented group that also includes all-around gymnasts Lydia Marks (sophomore), Whitney Boross (freshman) and Julie Seigel (freshman).

‘‘We’ll miss Abbie Klein and Lara Magill, who are out this season with injuries, but we still have a very good team,” said B-CC coach Dana Creager. ‘‘The girls have worked hard in the offseason and are ready to compete.”

Blake, guided by senior Danae Johnson, the 2007 Gazette Gymnast of the Year, also started the 2008 campaign strong Thursday, besting Blair, 153.15-108.5. Johnson scored 37.65 in the all-around. Last spring, she won both the county and state all-around crowns for the second year in a row.

Junior Nicole Williams placed second to Johnson at the county and state meets last year, and won the floor exercise at states (9.45) to earn All-Gazette first-team honors. Blake won the county and state titles in 2005 and ’06, and will need a team effort to return to the top spot.

‘‘Last year, Danea and Nicole [would do well] but we always struggled getting the remaining scores in,” Bengals coach Laura Parsons said. ‘‘B-CC and WJ definitely have some depth to them again, so it should be an interesting year. We’ll see how things pan out at the end. Our goal is to go to states as a team.”

Sophomore Laura Treacy placed third in the county and fifth at states a year ago to make the All-Gazette first team. Other key Bengals include junior Kayla Perry and freshmen Julie Boland and Jordyn Tillman.

Walter Johnson lost last season’s county title to B-CC by less than a point (173.425-172.925) and placed second to the Barons again at the state meet. Third-year coach Jill Neustadt believes this year’s team could challenge again this season behind gifted returnees Claire Miller (senior), Jenny Roche (junior) and Aly Irvine (senior) and top newcomer Shannon Mitchell (freshman). Miller, an All-Gazette performer, placed fourth in the county and third at states in the all-around competition and took first in the uneven bars at the state meet.

‘‘We have a strong team with a lot of girls,” Neustadt said. ‘‘We have the potential to do really well this season.”

Sherwood welcomes back senior Alexia Banda, who missed last year with a knee injury. Long-time coach Gary Peters thinks she will be ‘‘very competitive, especially on bars.” She’s joined by sophomore Elizabeth Bofill, who placed seventh in the county all-around (35.5) and placed third on the balance beam at states to earn All-Gazette recognition.

Freshmen Haili Rosenfeld and Sarah Dickson will also provide immediate help.

‘‘We have a young team with some very experienced girls and middle-of-the-road girls who did well in last year’s County B meet,” Peters said.

Blair and Springbrook opened the season with new coaches in Hillary Wynn and Daren Dembrow, respectively. Both bring extensive gymnastics experience at the high school and college levels.

Wynn competed at the club and high school level in her native Nebraska and coached club gymnastics in both Nebraska and Georgia before moving to Maryland, where she is a teacher at Rockville High. She inherits a squad that will be guided by senior Nazanin Yousefnejad and juniors Anna Hadfield and Abby Cemder. Wynn also welcomes in freshmen Sophia Seidell and Taylor Smith. All five of the above competitors have some type of club experience.

‘‘We have a lot of great potential,” Wynn said. ‘‘I think we can do even better than in the past. I’m looking forward to a great year.”

Dembrow returns to his alma mater after competing at Southern Connecticut State University and coaching at Yale (Conn.) University. He brings back one of the county’s top sophomores in Hanna Brande, who placed fifth at the county meet with an all-around score of 36.15, including taking third on the balance beam (9.05).

Senior Melisa Corado-Williams also returns to a Blue Devils team that placed fifth in the county last year. Freshman Teja Wright provides depth in each event.

‘‘Thus far, I am impressed with the diversity on the team as well as a strong commitment from the entire group,” Dembrow said. ‘‘They show great potential and could develop into a strong squad in the years to come.”

Fast Facts

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons

Head coach: Dana Creager, 8th year

2007 County finish: 1st

Gymnasts to watch: Katie Pelton (Sr.), Lydia Marks (Soph.), Ebony Walters (Soph.)

Blair Blazers

Head coach: Hillary Wynn, 1st year

2007 County finish: 6th

Gymnasts to watch: Nazanin Yousefnejad (Sr.), Anna Hadfield (Jr.), Abby Cemder (Jr.)

Blake Bengals

Head coach: Laura Parsons, 6th year

2007 County finish: 3rd