[twitter-follow screen_name=’KyleGotimer42′]
By Kyle Gotimer
LoCoSports Assistant Editor
Leesburg (Feb. 7, 2015) – Led by senior Courtney Walker, the Heritage High School varsity gymnastics team earned the Conference 21 gymnastics title in front of a home crowd in Leesburg on Feb. 4.
“I wasn’t really expecting this cause last year Heritage wasn’t supposed to win but coming in here tonight we knew we had a chance at winning,” Walker said. “We came in with a good attitude, and we finished in first which has never happened for Heritage.”
Heritage – and the Woodgrove High School Lady Wolverines who placed second – earned bids to the VHSL 5A North region tournament at Mt. Vernon High School on Feb. 9.
“This is probably the most complete effort that Heritage has had as a team. They broke a school record tonight; their school record previously was 122-something set in ’07 or ’08 so it’s been a long time,” Heritage head coach Jenny Aubel said. “I’m very proud of them. [Feb. 9] is [the region meet] at Mount Vernon so they’ve got two days to practice and get ready to roll again.”
Walker acknowledged the team success might be due to the chemistry the Pride have had this winter.
“We’re actually so close: we hang out, we’re best friends, we support each other through everything,” Walker said. “I love how if we fall we don’t cry, we just laugh and shake it off and support each other.”
“We’re excited at the opportunity to move into the region. We’re a small team; it took everyone having good routines cause everyone counted. They worked really hard this year and they came and they did what they came here to do,” Woodgrove head coach Margie Barnes said. “These girls are very close and I think they are always there for each other. We’ve had good meets and not so good meets and they’ve learned to trust one another and it came in tonight.”
Team Results
1 Heritage 127.875
2 Woodgrove 124.925
3 Loudoun County 122.2
4 Park View 96.5
Loudoun County High School’s sole senior gymnast Victoria Miner edged Woodgrove High School sophomore Sarah Snare by five-hundredths of a point to win the individual all-around Conference 21 title including first place finishes on the bars and vault.
“We’ve become a family. There are only four of us; I think there was like ten last year,” said Snare of her Woodgrove teammates. “We just always know what’s going on in each other’s lives, and it’s like family.”
Heritage High School freshman Kaley Reich, Walker, Miner and Snare will all represent Loudoun County at the all-around at the VHSL 5A North region meet.
In the vault, Woodgrove sophomore Kaycee Delitta, Loudoun County freshman Molly Chapman, Heritage freshman Sydney Reich and Heritage junior Heidi Barrientos all earned VHSL 5A North region berths.
In the uneven bars, Loudoun County freshman Molly Chapman, Woodgrove sophomore Kaycee Delitta, Heritage junior Heidi Barrientos, Heritage sophomore Kailyn Mattingly and Loudoun County sophomore Stephanie Anderson all earned VHSL 5A North region berths.
In the beam, Woodgrove freshman Lauren Sutura, Heritage sophomore Kailyn Mattingly, Heritage junior Heidi Barrientos, Heritage freshman Sydney Reich and Woodgrove sophomore Kaycee Delitta all earned VHSL 5A North region berths.
In the floor, Heritage freshman Sydney Reich, Woodgrove freshman Lauren Sutura, Heritage junior Heidi Barrientos, Woodgrove sophomore Kaycee Delitta and Loudoun County junior Ashleigh Wright all earned VHSL 5A North region berths.
