Tim Daggett Gold Medal teams off to a terrific start

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

AGAWAM - The boys and girls teams from Tim Daggett Gold Medal Gymnastics are off to a great USA Gymnastics competitive season.

The boys Level 9 (ages 12 and 13) team dominated in their season opener in Middleton, placing first. Josh Ungar, of Longmeadow, placed first on rings (8.3), parallel bars (8.6) and high bar (8.75) with an outstanding first place 50.00 all-around, while Jony Deaton, also from Longmeadow, was a close second with a high score of 48.90 all-around placing second on high bar (8.65) as well. Paul Wood, of Hardwick, took third with a 45.00 and Carter Levreault, of South Hadley, placed first on vault with an 8.7 and fourth in the all-around with 44.90. Westfield's Tyler Curran placed first on floor with an 8.85 and seventh all-around while teammate Sam Hayashida, of Suffield, placed 13th all-around.

In the Level 7 (12-plus age group) Jesse Coull, of Amherst, placed first on pommel (8.0) and rings with an impressive 9.6. He placed second in the all-around with 48.40. Devin Clarke, of East Hartford, Conn., placed first on floor with an 8.6 and third all-around with 48.0. Granby's Raleigh Venne was third on parallel bars and sixth all-around with a 46.40.

In the Level 6 (ages 8 and 9), Peter Daggett, from East Longmeadow, placed fourth all-around with 46.3. In the Level 6 (ages 10 and 11) J.D. Allsup, of Somers, placed first in floor with a 9.2, third on vault with a 9.0 and seventh all-around with a 50.60. Dimitri Pixley, from Pittsfield, finished sixth on parallel bars with an 8.90 and 13th all-around (47.55).

Level 5 Benjamin Provost, from South Hadley, placed seventh in the age 7 through 9 group on pommel with an 8.5 and 12th all-around with 49.5.

The following Level 5 gymnasts also competed their first meet: Corey Clemente, Eric Mau, Colin Radon, Nathan Florence, Teaanou Gonzalez, Trevor Allsup, Brandon Klein, Anthony Belyy and Ethan Whitton. This was the 14th annual Tim Daggett National Invitational, hosted by Tim Daggett Gold Medal Gymnastics, where more than 225 athletes from 28 local and regional gyms gathered to compete. The boys took first place.

Daggett's girls team is also off to a great season. Three Level 8 gymnasts qualified at a recent sectional in Waltham to compete at the state championships held in April. Lizzie Deane, from Agawam placed first in the ages 12 and 13 all-around with a 35.60, while teammate Abby Griswold, from Monson, placed a close second with 35.20. Both gymnasts received 9.0s on floor taking first, while Deane also captured first on beam with an impressive 9.25. Sarah Vukalovic, from West Springfield, qualified to compete at states.

In the senior division, Shelly D'Aleo, of Enfield, placed third with an 8.70. In her first Level 7 meet, Natasha Sankalia, from Agawam, placed fifth on floor with an 8.95 and qualified for sectionals with a 34.225 all-around in the senior division.

The girls Level 5 team made its debut at the Fred Caster Memorial Invitational in Westfield. Sara Hogan, from Westfield, won beam with a 9.125, Paige Alves, from Agawam, captured second on uneven bars with an 8.75, while Alison Renaud, also from Agawam, placed sixth on floor with an 8.25. Megan Corr, from Suffield, and Haley Harper, of West Springfield, also did very well for their first Level 5 meet.

In Level 6, Erin Walsh, from Granby, placed third in the 12-year-old all-around with a 34.0. The girls will be at Westfield State College again on Saturday when they host the second annual Daggett's Invitational meet.