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03/08/2017 11:00 PMAlthough she took a one-year detour, Lily Spencer found her way back to the Hand gymnastics squad and not only finished her high school career with another pair of SCC and state team championships, but also an individual title along the way.
Lily has done gymnastics throughout her life, but she decided to step away from the Tigers last season to focus more on club gymnastics and polish her overall abilities in the sport. Lily came back to Hand better than ever this year and captured the conference crown on the bars with a score of 9.0 at SCC Championship, while helping the Tigers win their ninth straight league title. After that, Lily earned All-State First Team honors when Hand claimed its fifth consecutive Class M state championship. Lily will represent Team Connecticut at the Senior Showcase Invitational in Fort Myers, Florida in May.
“I love gymnastics because you can build upon new skills, and I love the adrenaline rush of the sport. Trying new things in it is what keeps me coming back,” says Lily, who also medaled on the vault and in the all-around at the SCC meet. “Every year, there is a stigma with our team going into SCCs because we usually come out on top. But there was pressure from Mercy this year, so we weren’t sure what to expect. I had nerves, but [Head Coach Kelly Smith] told me to do what I did in practice, and I was happy with my performance in the end. Winning bars as a senior meant so much, but it was also bittersweet, because it’s my last year. I was surprised to win, but it was a great way to end my SCC career.”
Lily says the time she spent away from the Tigers proved beneficial because all the work she put in helped her become a stronger athlete from both physical and mental perspective.
“With doing club gymnastics, my mentality going into the meets has changed. I’m not as nervous. I think I’m stronger on all events now,” Lily says. “I took last year off to focus on cleaning up my gymnastics and it’s showed, I think.”
The pre-meet jitters that Lily experienced early on help her relate to the Tigers’ younger gymnasts, and she enjoys encouraging them to push past any anxiety when it’s their time to compete.
“Being a leader on this team as a senior means a lot. I always looked up to the older girls when I was younger and to be in that leadership role is a great and awesome experience,” says Lily. “I love helping to calm down the younger girls before a meet.”
Coach Smith says that Lily was poised to achieve great things when she returned to the Tigers this year and credits her for balancing things out with the way she communicated with her teammates.
“Lily has really matured during her high school years. She took her junior year off from high school gymnastics to focus on her schedule and competition with her private club team and, when she returned this year, she was a really strong senior leader for our team,” says Smith. “She works hard and leads by example in the gym and she also knows when to keep it light. She will mix in some laughter and dancing with her teammates and with all of her hard work each day. She’s always been a strong individual competitor, as many kids are who come through the private club sector, and I think as she’s matured, she’s really embraced the team aspect. She’s had fun, she’s having great individual success, and we’ve had a great year as a team.”
Coach Smith adds that the way Lily performs on the mat is a thing of beauty and quite enjoyable for everyone to witness.
“What really sets Lily apart in my mind is the amplitude and execution in her gymnastics. She is such a pleasure to watch do gymnastics. Every skill is big. She flies high and with power and does so with exquisite grace. Her toes are always pointed, her legs straight, and her upper body poised. She is a natural and that, coupled with her work ethic, has allowed her to excel,” Smith says. “She’s aggressive, but also controlled, and she’s really improved in her confidence and consistency. Her jumps on beam are some of the best I’ve ever seen. You can see the faces in the crowd and sometimes even on the judges when she does her straddle jumps and her legs are up by her ears. It’s really impressive. And that’s the way she does all of her gymnastics—with beautiful technique.”
Hand gymnastics is one of the most distinguished programs in the state, and Lily feels especially proud that she’s walked out of every season with some SCC and state title gold. However, Lily feels even more ecstatic about the friendships that she’s formed throughout the past few years.
“Winning states again is unbelievable. Not many gymnasts can say they won a SCC and state title each year they competed. I’m proud to be a part of this hard-working team,” says Lily, who thanks her parents, Tim and Rhonda, along with Coach Smith, Tigers’ assistant coach Jessica Hoover, plus club coach Steve Redes and his wife Kris. “Hand gymnastics has been an amazing experience. There have been some great bonds we’ve created here. We have great girls here and great, motivating coaches. I’m so glad I came back this year to finish off strong.”