After a historic 2023 season, the Westfield girls gymnastics team started off their season with a bang, taking down rival Cranford with a final score of 105.2 to 102.5.
The tone was set early on, as the girls started off with a slight edge on the vault. Led by senior Katie McDermott, the team averaged a score of 26.75, giving them an early lead against the Cougars.
The pattern continued on the bars, led by freshmen Maddie Lee. Her score of 8.7, combined with an 8.6 and 8.5, from senior McDermott and senior captain Chloe Katz respectively, allowed Westfield to expand its lead more. This proves to everyone that they are a team to watch out for this season.
The girls soon moved onto the beam, which takes extreme precision and accuracy in order to avoid point deductions. Amidst the pressure, seniors Morgan Samet, Nora Collins, McDermott and Katz along with freshmen Madie Lee, all scored above an eight in their respective routine.
However, the most exciting event was none other than the floor. With a lead of approximately two points, Westfield would need to hit its routines with minimal errors to put away Cranford. Senior captain Nora Collins rose to the occasion, earning the highest score of the day, a 9.1. However, gymnastics is just as much a team effort as it is individual. McDermott topped off her tremendous day with a 9.05, and Katz followed suit, with another incredible score of 8.95.
Despite the dominance, the win did not come easy. “It is a bit of a smaller team than we have had in the past,” remarked head coach Jenna Tulapol. “But they all did really great staying together.”
As a result, more athletes had to step up and compete in the “All-Around” meaning that they must complete the vault, bars, beam and floor to perfection. Samet was one of the All-around gymnasts, and was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the competition, and has optimism for the future of the season. “Everyone did really well and I feel like we can only grow from here. Honestly, it was an amazing start for the team,” remarked Samet after the competition had concluded.
Despite the victory, the girls are always chasing perfection, and continue to find ways to improve year after year. Freshman Bridget Garrett states that although they had a great meet, “I still think we could fix our form a little bit.”
Not only do the girls have their eyes set on improvement, but they also have their eyes set on winning one of the most competitive Union County Tournaments in the state. “This meet, we just wanted to get through, and see what we can improve to hopefully compete for the County Championship,” said Tulapol after the competition.
Samet remarked, “I think we have the power to beat Scotch Plains,” a major source of competition when competing for the county tournament. “We just need to keep believing in ourselves, and keep supporting each other, because that is what pushes us farther.” The girls will be back at home Thursday against Old Bridge at 4pm, hoping to get another win.
