Music filled the gymnasium, energy was high and cheers from the bleachers erupted as Westfield lined up at the Union County Tournament Meet to begin their first event: bars. The girls crowded around each other, each cheering on their teammates and the anticipation was tangible.
After scores were tallied, Westfield sophomore Maddie Lee placed third for her bar performance. She said, “My favorite routine tonight was on bars because everyone hit and performed so well, it was a great kick off for the meet and bars is also my favorite event.”
That positive spirit continued as Westfield moved on to their second event, the beam. The team crowded around the beam and held their breath as each performed their routines. Each hoped to stick the beam to get the most individual points and help boost their team’s score. Senior Annabel Lang completed her beam routine without falling off the beam once. “I’m so proud of my performances. I stuck the beam and all of my skills were clean, so I was really happy about that,” said Lang.
Both Lang and Lee placed for their beam performances, Lang coming in sixth and Lee achieving a fourth-place finish.
Focus is key when the gymnasts begin their events. Both Lang and Lee shared their approaches to staying focused under pressure. “I stay focused by just taking deep breaths and trying to stay calm because that’s truly the best way to hit a routine. Also, I just focus on having fun and everything else follows,” said Lang. Similarly, Lee said, “A lot goes through my head, but the most important thing I tell myself is to have fun with it, which always leads to a great routine.”
Next in the lineup was the floor event. Each girl performed to exciting music and choreography included aerials, back handsprings and splits. Senior Evelyn Calandra placed sixth for her floor routine. The Blue Devils ended the meet with vault, where Lee received 1st place with a score of 9.2. With all the scores in, all that was left to do was tally them up and announce the winners.
Lee won the all-around individual title as Union County All Around Champion. Lee described her feelings about winning this incredible title, saying, “It feels exhilarating, like a dream come true. I’m so grateful all of the hard work this season paid off.” Head coach Melissa Greenwald also expressed how proud she was of Lee’s accomplishment. “She has been so consistent throughout our season. While recently nursing back to health from an ankle injury, her gymnastics abilities were visible to all. Her graceful way of executing every skill, along with her calm and confident nature, allowed her to grab the Union County All Around Champion Title. What an amazing accomplishment,” said Greenwald.
Westfield ultimately placed 3rd overall as a team for their performance with a score of 104.275. Lang, Lee, and Greenwald all credited their podium results to their determination and high team spirits throughout the meet. Lang said, “We’re a super close and supportive team, which really positively impacts our meets and the environment. We’re always standing together and cheering each other on as loud as possible, and it really makes everyone feel proud and like they’re a part of the team.”
The Blue Devils will compete in their next meet on Nov. 1 and look to keep up the energy and build off their stellar performance.
