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03/20/2012 12:00 AMIt was business as usual for the Hand gymnastics team in 2011-'12: another undefeated season, another conference title, and more accolades for its gymnasts. The gold standard of excellence in the Southern Connecticut Conference was just that again this year and was even better after making the State Open for the first time as a team.
"We would have liked to win a state championship, but coming in second to Woodstock [the New England Champion] is quite an accomplishment, too," said Hand Coach Kelly Smith. "We were able to fulfill our two biggest goals: an SCC championship and a trip to the State Open as a team, so we're very happy with this season."
The Tigers went 19-0 this year, claiming their fourth straight SCC crown, finishing as the runner-up in the Class M State Championship, and placing third in the State Open. Led by captains Kimmy Megargee, Maia Smith (All-SCC and All-State Second Team), and Caroline Smith, Hand once again proved to be not only one of the top programs in the area, but also in the entire state. All three captains have brought a great deal of success to the Tigers over their four seasons, but Megargee, in particular, will be tough to replace as she was named the team's Most Valuable Player, given the Coaches' Award, was an All-SCC, All-State, All-New England, Academic All-State, All-American, and an Academic All-American selection.
"Our three captains did a great job this year of keeping our team motivated throughout the long season and focused on our goals and how to achieve them," Smith said. "They set an example of hard work in the gym and definitely set the bar high for the underclassmen."
Hand's only other senior was Maggie Naclerio, who also received All-SCC honors and showed a level of commitment unmatched by most.
"Originall, we had about 10 girls in this grade on our team, and these four are the ones that persevered over the four years of high school," said Smith. "All four of them should be commended for their commitment to the team, their work ethic, their leadership and maturity, and for their accomplishments."
However, despite the loss of the four talented seniors, Hand does boast a great deal of returning talent. Kendall Jerzyk (All-SCC, All-State First Team, and All-American on bars, beam, floor, and all-around), Stefani Taschner (All-SCC, All-State First Team, and All-American), Abby McGuirk (All-SCC), Ashlyn Thompson, and Maria Iennaco (All-SCC and Academic All-American) will all return next season for another go. Also returning will be Kendall Goodman who for the second straight year earned the team's Most Improved Award, as well as Julie Keenan, who received the Tiger Award.
"I think we have a bright future still ahead of us," said Smith, who is in her sixth year coaching. "There are some big losses with this year's senior class, but we have a solid group of underclassmen and a consistent number of girls entering in as freshman each year so our future looks bright."
If it was even possible, Hand raised the bar this season by consistently scoring near 140 points in each meet. The Tigers will have to duplicate that point total again next season if they are to reach their own lofty standards.
"We had a big increase in difficulty this year, which helped us raise our scores, but a lot of the difficulty was not perfected by the beginning of the season," said Smith, who was assisted by Jessica Hoover and Mike Smith. "We will continue to work those difficult skills in the hopes of keeping our start values high and increasing our consistency next year."