After an exciting meet at Planet Gymnastics, the Westford Academy Gymnastics team took home first place at the Dual County League (DCL) Meet Championship on Friday, Feb. 7 with a total score of 136.050.
Going up against strong teams like Weston, Wayland, Acton-Boxborough, Newton South, Concord-Carlisle, and Cambridge Rindge & Latin, the team came together to show that their hard work really paid off.
“We didn’t know what to expect going into this season because everyone was so young, but everyone showed up and did what they had to do,” junior captain Katie McDermott said.
McDermott placed fourth for all-around with a score of 34.95.
The DCL Meet Championship wasn’t just about individual performance; it was also about teamwork. The meet was a true test of how well the WA gymnasts could come together. Junior captains McDermott and Jynjer Jozokos played crucial roles, not only by performing very well for the team but also by supporting each other throughout the meet.
“As captains, we have really tried to show up for the team, and support each other and just be there for each other,” Jozokos said.
Westford’s victory was fueled by strong performances in every event. McDermott scored a 9.000 on both beam and floor, placing second in both events, and her consistency proved essential to the team’s success. Malena Swanson, an eighth grader, also delivered an incredible performance, scoring 8.850 on beam for a fourth-place finish and 8.900 on floor for a third-place finish.
On vault, McDermott placed fourth with a 8.550, and sophomore Eva Patel scored an 8.450, earning her sixth place. Though vault wasn’t their highest-scoring event, the solid scores still helped the team in their final score.
“We’ve been focusing on a lot of beam,” head coach Stephanie Coburn said. “We struggled on the beam a little bit this year, so in the last practice, we did a lot of beam work. We also focused on cleaning up the little things [like] sticking our landings, pointing our toes more, and just focusing on those little deductions.”
That extra focus paid off on the day of the competition. The team’s commitment to practicing the small details helped elevate their overall performance.
Bars, which had been one of the team’s more challenging events, also contributed to the title. Sophomore Mia Fremault (7.800), eighth grader Paige Croft (8.300), and Patel
(8.100) kept the team competitive despite facing strong opponents in that event.
“Our first goal next year is to hopefully have a bigger team. We only had 10 gymnasts this year, with five being 8th graders,” Coburn said.
For now, the team is savoring the win. Winning the DCL Meet Championship is a huge achievement, and the gymnasts are proud of the hard work they’ve put in. With strong leadership and emerging talent, WA has set the bar high for next season, and the future is bright for the young and talented squad.
“Our goal next year is to do what we did this year and get as many gymnasts as possible,” McDermott said.
