By SHANNON CAULFIELD
The Shamong Sun
The Seneca gymnastics team is gearing up for its fall season with the beginning of its preseason sessions.
The team is coming off a 3–5 record in 2011, and despite a younger squad, experience is on its side. A majority of the girls participate in private competition at various levels for Pinelands Gymnastics, providing the team with a boost in experience.
“As I’m watching the newer girls come in, they’re actually adding a lot of depth that we didn’t have in the past. I think I’m starting to see more strong athletes as I’m watching their routines. I’m starting to see higher level skills,” said head coach and chemistry teacher Dusty Carroll.
The team is young, led by two captains, Jordan Powelson and Jessi Van Horn, both in their junior year.
Each practice follows the same format for the athletes following a warm-up.
“The warm-up proceeds with a gradual increase in intensity and typically ends with tumbling skills on the floor. After warm-up, each day will have a specific focus. The focus might be on a certain type of skill, or on certain types of routines, or even on general gymnastic endurance for each event,” said Carroll.
Gymnastics has made its way back into the limelight following the “Fab 5’s” gold medal performances at this year’s 2012 London Olympics. Members of the team not only have favorites, but also have become inspired by the young Team U.S.A. members and their accomplishments.
“I think it will help. A lot of girls watched the Olympics, so it will help motivate them to be better,” said Powelson, whose specialty is the balance beam. “My favorite was Jordyn Wieber, because I saw her when she was little and competing, when she was 13-years-old. I’ve watched her ever since.”
“I’d love to see a bigger fan base,” said Carroll. “I don’t know that the Olympics will do it or not, but a lot more take more of an interest in the team, so that’s cool,” said Carroll. “I think they [the girls] are more excited because they saw some of the stuff the Olympic gymnasts are doing and think ‘wow, I can do that too.’”
Gymnastics hold its meets at 5 p.m. and the teams rotate through the four events, vault, bars, beam and floor exercises. Each team can compete up to five gymnasts on each event. The top three scores for each event make up the final team score, according to Carroll.
Unlike the Olympics, high schools still follow the 10-point scoring system; within these 10 points are values for difficulty, execution, originality, variety, and the inclusion of specific types of requirements for each event.
While a gymnast is competing to get her best possible score for the day’s meet, she is also attempting to qualify for the sectional championship meet by attaining certain minimum scores in each event. Any gymnast who earns at least the minimum score for an event in two different meets is eligible to compete in the sectional meet on Nov. 3, according to Carroll.
“I’m excited for the upcoming season because I see some talent and we don’t always get new kids who have a lot of experience. Our whole team, that’s new, does have experience and that’s going to put us in a more competitive bracket,” said Carroll.
The season begins Sept. 7 with an away meet vs. Cherokee at 5 p.m.
