After kicking off their 2015-16 season in truly fine style with a strong performance at their home facility recently, the New England Gymnastics Training Center gymnasts took to the road and put forth noteworthy efforts on somebody else’s mats.
The local center had athletes from a number of different levels compete at the annual Pilgrim Harvest Invitational in Leicester, Mass. And the NEGTC Level 3 and Level 6 contingents both stood out as groups by snaring second places amidst some superb competition. And youngsters who reside in Londonderry made their presence known all over the place for the local center.
All in all, NEGTC athletes from levels three through nine took part in the event.
In Level 3 action, the local center’s squad tallied a great team score of 110.150 to end up in second place overall.
Individual contributions from NEGTC Level 3 gymnasts hailing from Londonderry included children’s division competitors Shana Hatfield with thirds on the uneven bars and the balance beam and a fourth in the all-around; Katherine Rowan with a fourth in the floor exercise and sixths in the all-around and on bars, and Cailee Anderson with a fourth on beam and several other top-10 efforts.
In the Level 3 junior class, Faith Carrier tied for second place on beam and bagged fifth on floor.
In Level 4 senior division competition, Lillian MacDonald was a true stalwart in placing first in the all-around (score of 35.250), on beam (9.3), and in the floor exercise (9.2).
Also in that division, Ella Houghton had three top-six finishes including a fourth on floor, Lilly Maher snared a second place on beam, Olivia Colliton was good for a fifth in the vaulting, and Alyssa Parsons claimed a handful of top-20 finishes.
In the Level 5 intermediate class, Marline Fitzgerald claimed three top-10 finishes.
In heated Level 6 competition, the skilled and determined NEGTC crew tallied a score of 107.525 to collect second as a group.
Level 6 senior division competitor Chloe Catino wound up second on beam and got top-five finishes in the all-around, on vault, and on bars.
Level 7 senior level gymnast Seana Kelly placed third in the all-around with a second on bars.
And Level 9 senior level stalwart Jill McIntire notched a third place on vault and a trio of fourth place finishes in the all-around, on beam, and on floor as well.
The 2015-16 NEGTC teams are coached by Tim Madore, Mel Stoller, Justine Turner, Sherry Harper, and Mike O’Donnell.