This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
02/27/2023 08:14 AMWhat else can be said about the Hand gymnastics team and its efforts this winter that has not already been said before? Again, on a big competitive stage, the Tigers dominated their competition with near flawlessness, focus, and grace.
Hand competed in the Class S State Championship for the second consecutive season on Feb. 25 at Law and again finished in first place to add to a season that includes an undefeated dual-meet run at 17-0 and the program’s 23rd SCC championship.
The victory marks Hand’s second-straight state crown in the Class S Division while increasing the Tigers’ state title total in their trophy case to 20. Hand earned a team mark of 143.075, which set the new season-high mark for a team score for Hand. The Tigers edged out Oxford (131.75) and third-place finisher Stonington (130.325). Rounding out the squad scores were Killingly (129.725), host Law (128.9), Valley Regional in sixth (123.3), Nonnewaug (120.35), and Foran (111.6).
“It means so much to the team and I for not only bringing home the 76th state championship for Hand [as a school in athletics], but most importantly, the 20th for the gymnastics team,” said junior captain Dylan Friedman. “No win is ever guaranteed; the girls and I work so hard day in and day out, and tonight really exemplified that.”
Hand swept the board by finishing first on all four events of the vault, with a score of 35.475, bars (35.55), beam (36.075), and floor (35.975). The Tigers’ scoring marks throughout their campaign has been right in the 140-point threshold, and so like a true champion, they made the crucial adjustments on the big stage to push them over the top.
“It’s a long season, and we wanted to not only have a successful season but be healthy, happy, and hungry at the end for these postseason meets,” said Head Coach Kelly Smith. “This was our best performance of the season, so far. Back-to-back championships can be tough physically and mentally and, if we qualify to New Englands, then it’s three weekends in a row. But our trajectory is up, and we’ll look to repeat this performance and even improve a little more next weekend [at State Open] and hopefully the weekend after. Our school-record team score is a 143.225 set at New Englands last year, so scoring so close to that record should put a little fire behind our last few weeks of the season.”
With regards to the vault, sophomore Morgan Flickinger earned a 9.15 to take the event, and following her were sophomore classmate Brooke Anderson (9.1), junior Hadley Reiss (8.65), and senior captain Morgan McMahon (8.575).
On the bars, Flickinger locked up another solo state crown with a tally of 9.35, plus Anderson earned an 8.9. Also competing for Hand in the competition was sophomore Olivia Consiglio (8.8), and freshman Ella Speerli (8.5).
“Twenty is the most state titles of any high school gymnastics team in the state of Connecticut and the most state titles for any sports team at Hand,” exclaimed Smith. “It’s hard to believe how truly successful this program has been for so long. The team has a lot of pride in carrying on the team traditions of the program. After our successes last season, we traveled pretty far to see some tougher competition this year, and to come out on top of all the competitions is pretty notable. Because we have so much talent, we’ve been able to try a lot of different lineups, and ultimately, each of those has turned in a win. I think we knew we were poised to have a great season based on how many of our top performers were returning this year, but we also had a strong freshman class come in, and, most importantly, we’ve been mostly healthy all season long.”
Anderson led Hand with a 9.275 on the beam, while Flickinger followed close behind with a 9.25. Reiss had an 8.6, and then Abigail Simpson scored an 8.95.
“It means so much to not only take home another title but also see that joy and excitement in my teammates as they get to experience these huge achievements,” said McMahon. “It feels very rewarding to know we are carrying on the incredible legacy the Hand gymnastics team has created. We will continue to practice and have confidence and consistency knowing as a team we have what it takes to accomplish these big goals.”
Reiss earned herself the floor title with a score of 9.2 from the judges. Flickinger then added a 9.15. Elsewhere for the event, Speerli had an 8.925, and Anderson had an 8.7.
Smith spoke more about the lifestyle of a gymnast and a total team and the grueling and demanding itinerary it can generate, which made her marvel at her team’s accomplishments that much more.
“We work a lot in practice on mindset; the team mindset, the individual mindset, and improving our day-to-day habits,” Smith said. “Gymnastics can be tough on the body, and while getting numbers in to improve consistency and confidence is important, so is making the most of every turn on the equipment so you can minimize turns and pounding on the body. It’s easy to think about a difficult skill that comes later in a routine, but that’s how mistakes on easy skills happen. They have to be in the moment, in the skill they’re in, and practicing positive self-talk while performing. They were ready and prepared, they believed they were, and they performed that way. And with a team mindset, each individual knew that they had an entire lineup that could perform well and pick up their slack if they happened to make a mistake. You might be alone on the equipment in gymnastics, but you’re never alone on this team.”
Flickinger, Anderson, and Reiss all performed in the all-around as major contributors to the team score. All three also scored above a nine on an event (or multiple), with Flickinger scoring above a nine on all four events.
“The difficulty they bring to the table and their high start values are a big key to our success,” said Smith. “They all had a solid day of competition, and Hadley had one of her best performances of the season. Abby Simpson’s beam routine and Ella Speerli’s floor routine were both near perfect, giving the team significant boosts on both of those events. All in all, our beam score of 36+ really stood out the most; beam can be tricky in big competitions, and we had a really strong beam performance. It was probably our strongest beam day all season, and one that we will need and want to replicate next weekend.”
The members of the All-State Team will be determined at the State Open Championship, which kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 4, at New Milford. Yet competing for Hand will be Flickinger, Anderson, and Reiss (each in the all-around), Speerli (on bars and beam), McMahon (vault), Consiglio (bars), and Simpson (beam).
“The State Open is going to be a really great matchup,” said Smith. “All four teams [Hand, Class M winner Ellington-Tolland, Class M runner-up Fairfield Warde, and Class M 3rd-place earner Woodstock Academy] are strong, and anything really can happen. We are going to have to come in with the same mindset and the same performance quality that we did here. There is only offense in gymnastics; we can’t control what any other team is doing, so we will need to keep our focus and really hone in on the little things that can make a difference if it ends up being tight down the line. Our depth is our strength, but we want to hit all of our routines and leave it all on the line.”
Friedman basked in the ecstasy and pride of another state title win, but she stayed grounded and focused on the next championship aspiration for the Tigers.
“As we look ahead to State Opens, I know that our work in the gym will help us maintain our momentum and hopefully secure another title,” Friedman said. “We are all so grateful for tonight’s states win and cannot wait to see what State Opens have in store for us.”
The state champion Hand roster consists of seniors McMahon, Eva Alquist, Elisabeth Davern; Friedman, Nicole Quain, Reiss, Simpson, Sydney Williams; sophomores Anderson, Olivia Consiglio, Flickinger, Abigail Lombardi, Avery Nairn; and freshmen Grace Burton, Kelly Kelly, and Speerli.