Three-Meet-Long Hot Streak Vaults Darien Gymnasts to Victorious Season

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First, on Jan. 26,Darien beat the Cardinals in Greenwich, 127.45 to 120.6. Two days later, the Wave did it again in Westport, 129.75 to Staples High School’s 128.2. On Feb. 5, the last home meet this year, Darien hit Stamford High School and Westhill High School with a 126.7 that took the meet.

— a report from Holly Russell, on behalf of the team

“We’ve all been working really hard, and it paid off,” said Co-Captain Megan Cutler. The Wave’s record of 7 wins and 4 losses put Head Coach Judy Zakim in a very good mood.

“We came together these last two weeks and had a winning season,” she said, adding that the Westport meet in particular proved instrumental to the team’s success. “It was this year’s highest score. We had no falls and 24 perfect routines. The girls had such good energy.”

Competition highlights include a best-of-season 33.7 in vault at the home meet versus Stamford. Every athlete in the lineup scored eights, Co-Captain Sommer Schmidt and junior Olivia Perkins, 8.3, for instance, and Co-Captain Maggie Russell, 8.4.

Elise DeGennaro Darien Gymnastics Team

Photo by Louise Schmidt

Elise DeGennaro executes some floor moves.

Sophomores Julia Decsi and Anna Primmer each lofted an 8.5 that was a personal best for both of them this year. Primmer’s confidence made her routine memorable, while Decsi’s twist off the horse drew cheers.

When Decsi knocked out an 8.8 on beam in Greenwich, she scored the highest number of any Darien gymnast for any event in 2022. One combination featured a back handspring connected to a roundoff, an impressive flight skill even when it’s not executed on a length of leather-covered wood 16 feet 5 inches long, 4 feet high and 4 inches wide. Decsi’s 8.8 aside, Darien did best overall on beam in Westport, led by sophomore Bella Koproski, 8.4, Cutler, 8.2, and Primmer, 8.15.

The importance of every fraction of a point began to sink in for Coach Kimberly Donovan when she started working with the team this year. A former gymnast, she did not absorb the full value of her experience until she began to advise Wave athletes on skills she once performed.

“It’s funny to be on the other side, now. You see how your comments make a difference. Even if the improvement’s just a tenth of a point, those tenths-of-a-point add up,” Donovan said. Consider the Westport meet, where the Wave earned its highest bar score for the year, 30.45, and scored its highest, too, on floor, 33.5.

Wave scored its second-highest on floor (33) at the Saturday home meet against Stamford. During warmups for the event, pop music played in the background. The beam gave a metallic slap each time an athlete landed after a jump. The girls chatted and laughed.

Elise DeGennaro Darien Gymnastics Team

Photo by Louise Schmidt

Elise DeGennaro executes some floor moves.

Some, such as sophomore Annelise Enters, prepared for their routines. Others relaxed. Freshmen Annabel Clas, Emma Kennedy, and Sloane Kosowsky rested and rehydrated after doing exhibition turns for each event: Clas on vault, Kosowsky on bars, and Kennedy on beam. Elise DeGennaro, also a freshman, limbered up for her floor exhibition with the other teammates in the lineup. Though her score and those of the other freshmen did not count in the competition, the new gymnasts gained experience that will help them compete next year.

It was a day to celebrate. Clusters of blue and white balloons bobbed near the gym entrance. Both coaches, both managers, juniors Abby Kissko and Mia Macdonald, junior Alex Decsi, and sophomore Fiona Garfield all wore black t-shirts with blue and white lettering that said, “Blue Wave Gymnastics Senior Day” in honor of Co-Captains Cutler, Russell, and Schmidt.

“Each senior has unique qualities that compliment her leadership,” Zakim said. “All three of them are really supportive of the younger girls. It’s a testament to their character and to their love of the sport.”

Schmidt, for example, remained consistently sunny, no matter what. “We’ve really bonded and got close to each other,” Schmidt said. “Even when people mess up, it’s important to stay happy, focused, and have a good time.”

Her words should continue to encourage, given that the Wave’s 7 wins may qualify the team for the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) on Saturday, Feb. 12.

“If we go,” said Co-Captain Russell, “I think we’ll enter the competition a lot more sure of ourselves than earlier in the season. I’m very proud of us.”

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