Daggett’s team members take titles at gymnastic championships

Gymnasts from Tim Daggett’s Gold Medal Gymnastics girls’ team in Agawam completed their season strong at the state, regional and national levels. The team participates through USA Gymnastics which offers competitive artistic gymnastics for girls of varying ages and levels. The Women’s Junior Olympic Program is broken up into two parts; levels 2-6 are “compulsory,” so gymnasts in these levels perform set routines while Levels 7-10 are “optional.” The increase in difficulty at the highest levels results in a decrease of competitors nationwide. Gymnasts in levels 5 and over must qualify (according to each level’s score criteria) at specific “sectional” meets to compete at their state championships held sometime in the spring. At Level 8, gymnasts have the opportunity to qualify and advance to their regional championships; there are eight regions in the country. Level 9 gymnasts can advance from the regional level to the Eastern National Championships, while Level 10 gymnasts hope to qualify all the way through to the highest level of competition, the Junior Olympic Nationals.

Karen Tang, 14, from Agawam is the Regional Junior B Champion after posting an impressive 37.40 all-around score at the 2007 Level 10 Regional Championships at Stony Brook University in New York, April 21-22. The regional championship meet included the best gymnasts from Region Six – the six New England states and New York. Tang also took first on beam with a high 9.425 and floor exercise with an amazing 9.725! She was last year’s 2006 Level 9 Regional Champion and placed third on beam at the 2006 Eastern Championships. This year, Tang had a strong level 10 season and qualified at regionals to compete at the 2007 Women’s Junior Olympic Nationals May 18-20 in Ohio, but she broke her foot days before leaving and was unfortunately unable to compete. Tang’s sister is also a champion gymnast. Kathy Tang, 13, won vault and floor at the Massachusetts State Championships on March 31, placing second all-around with a 36.05. She then advanced to the Level 9 Regional Championships winning vault again and qualifying to compete as a member of the Region Six Junior B Team at the 2007 Level 9 Eastern Championships in Florida. Tang’s regional team took the title there on May 11, while she again secured the winning score on vault (9.3) and floor (9.4), placing eighth all-around among top-ranked gymnasts in the eastern half of the country with a 36.5.

Shelly D’Aleo,16, of Enfield, Connecticut, Sara Vukalovic,15, of West Springfield and Abby Griswold,12, from Monson competed at the Level 8 Massachusetts State Championships on April 14, 2007. Griswold’s 35.825 all-around advanced her to compete with other top-scoring gymnasts at the Level 8 All Star Regional Championships, May 6, at the University of Rhode Island, where she won second place in her age group with a 36.775 all-around -- the third highest score of the meet’s 80 competitors. Griswold also medaled in all events including third on bars (9.3) and fourth on vault (9.450). On April 29, Natasha Sankalia,13, from Agawam posted a 35.225 all-around at the Level 7 State Championships in Eastham and medaled on floor at seventh place for her 9.325 performance.

The compulsories also completed their season strong. Samantha Luke and Erin Walsh both competed in the twelve year old age group at the Level 6 State Championships on April 28 in Eastham. Luke scored 34.625 all-around while Walsh too came in over 34. Competing at their first Level 5 State Championships on May 12 in Holyoke, Sara Hogan, age 10, scored 9.0 or better on bars, beam and floor with an all-around of 34.90. Haley Harper and Paige Alves both scored above a 34.0 all-around in the 9 Jr. age group while the youngest 9 year old, Alison Renaud was very close with a 33.70. The following Level 4 gymnasts will compete at the Level 4 State Cup meet June 2-3 in Eastham to complete their first competitive season: Madison Perry, Abby McLean, Alexis and Alyssa Bergamini, Hannah Valencia and Taylor Patrick.