2022 Gymnasts to Watch at the State Open
Hearst Connecticut Media Photos / Designed by Pete PaguagaA new State Open gymnastics team champion will be crowned when qualifiers Daniel Hand, Woodstock Academy, Fairfield Warde and St. Joseph meet on Saturday beginning at 10.a.m. at New Milford High School.
Southington won the 2020 Open title. Woodstock Academy was second, St. Joseph third.
Hand captured Class S this year behind senior Paige Dean, sophomore Hadley Reiss and freshmen sensations Morgan Flickinger and Brooke Anderson.
Woodstock Academy won Class M. It returns senior Lindsay Gilles, who placed 13th (34.50) at the 2020 Open. Junior Taylor Markey was top scorer in all four events at the state meet.
Warde, runners-up in Class M, brings back Caroline Garrett who placed sixth at 35.75 in 2020. The senior will be joined in all-around by Emma Johnson. The FCIAC champion, Johnson scored 9-plus in three events at states.
St. Joseph’s Lindsay Capobianco posted a score of 34.0 as a sophomore to tie for 15th. Junior Caitlyn Kelly is also back for the second-place finishers in Class S. Julianna Pucciarelli, a junior, totaled a 34.85 at states.
Julianna Gagliardi from Haddam-Killingworth/Morgan/Westbrook is the top individual scorer returning from 2020. As a sophomore Gagliardi’s 34.90 was good for 10th.
Gymnasts to Watch: Mia Guster (Staples), Kaitlyn Abbey (East Lyme), Jordyn Murray (Ellis Tech), Brenna Johnson (Plainfield), Natalie Marshall (Ellington), Lydia Laskey (Stonington), Megan Cafferty (H-K/Morgan/Westbrook), Emma Nelly (Jonathan Law), Regan Williams (New Milford), Olivia Mannino (Wilton), Renee Chard (Newtown), Kaitlyn Delaney (Ellington), Kiera O’Brien (Tourtellotte), and Charlotte Pacheco (Tolland).
william.bloxsom@hearstmediact.com Twitter: @blox354