Girls Varsity gymnastics may be small, but they are a mighty team here at Berkley High School. With a total of nine girls, combined with Troy Athens, the team consists of hard-working girls who perform high-level performances, including floor, vault, bars, and beam, with the goal of qualifying for the state meet at the end of the season. Although gymnastics is a team sport, the girls rely on individual performances for personal success. The balance between individual pressure, along with challenges and growth, highlights the personal journeys of each gymnast while displaying their achievements.
Let’s hear from some of our girls here at Berkley! First, senior Delanie Criscenti, who has been on the gymnastics team for two years. She performs floor and beam and aims to qualify at Regionals. She discusses her challenges with her experience, “For me, the biggest challenge as a gymnast is mental block. One day I might do a skill, fall on it, and feel like I can’t do it again.” The persistence of these girls in overcoming their fears is important to the team’s success.
Senior captain Lydia Binelli has also faced many challenges. She has earned a medal at Leagues and qualified all three years for Regionals, as she has been on the team since her sophomore year. Her biggest challenge was picking up gymnastics after she stopped for five years. Getting those skills back was hard work, but she has reached that point and past now. Another challenge she has faced is injuries, “Injuries have been an issue for me. The past two seasons, I have injured my ankle being a multisport athlete with cross country and gymnastics; two very high-impact sports.” She has learned how to deal with the struggles of recovery by prioritizing stretching and taking breaks when there is too much pressure on her ankle. This highlights the obstacles of multi-sport athletes and is relatable to many high school students with similar experiences. Binelli also discusses the teams’ growth in numbers of gymnasts, “We have a bigger team than we did last year, so we hope to qualify for regionals as a team instead of for individuals, which we haven’t done in the past three years.” The goal for the team as a whole provides motivation to the gymnasts to work hard every day and achieve their group goals, as well as individually.
The team’s growth is due to the combination of teams. Alyse Muscat is a senior captain who has been on the team for two years now. She is an all-around performer and went to States last year. Her take on the combined team is, “I think it’s really cool how our team’s practice is with four schools; Berkley, Troy, Athens, and Avondale. I think it’s really interesting to meet girls I would have never known, be their friend, and do the sport I love.” All four schools- Berkeley, Troy Athens, Troy, and Avondale- practice together at the same location and time, but they are organized into two separate competitive teams. Berkeley and Troy Athens compete together as one team, while Troy and Avondale form the second team. Although they share practices, these two teams compete against each other in meets and competitions.
Despite the challenges of the season, the Berkley/Athens team has continued to grow stronger through hard work, dedication, and determination. With that momentum on their side, the team hopes to flip their way to success, looking to carry them to states and regional championships by season’s end.
