Ridgewood set to roll out vast cast of gymnasts
September 12, 2014 Last updated: Friday, September 12, 2014, 12:31 AM
By Greg Tartaglia
SPORTS EDITOR
RIDGEWOOD — Karen Mendez begins every new gymnastics season with a goal completely unrelated to the numbers on judges’ score sheets.
“I always do my best to get as many of my girls into our meets as possible,” the Ridgewood High School head coach said earlier this week.
That’s why her main concern for 2014 is the number on the Maroons’ roster: 34. This will be the largest team of her seven-year tenure and quite possibly the most talented, too.
“We have a large group of dedicated gymnasts of varying ability levels,” Mendez said, “but they work extremely well together.”
The girls’ priority, meanwhile, has been getting to know all the newcomers. Nine freshmen have joined a squad that brings back 11 seniors, including quad-captains Libby DeVita, Kate Eanelli, Christina Gieselmann and Yurina Harada.
“There are so many girls on the team, it’s hard to keep track,” Gieselmann said at practice Wednesday. “We didn’t even know about the talent we had coming in.”
Plenty is known about the top upperclassmen, on the other hand. Harada is a USAG Level 10 competitor and returning state gold medalist — the last RHS gymnast with such distinctions was Chelsea Steinberg in 2006.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/girls-gymnastics/ridgewood-rolls-out-vast-cast-of-gymnasts-1.1086521#sthash.hgrScsxi.dpuf
Acrobats, Acrobats and oh yes ….. says this really old one.
Great sport to be shared …… I loved all those that shared my backyard gym.
Don’t get that pumis powder on the Gym floor (inside story).
PS: Girls wouldn’t mind working out with the boys……… you be able to get a boys team started again.
The boys wouldn’t mind I’m sure.. I’ll send you a photo JJ of that great team and that younger coach helping out.
Oh yes, I was an acrobat too.