Gymnastics
- Gymnasts of the Year
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- Coaches of the Year
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- Boys All-Scholastics
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- Girls All-Scholastics
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- All-Stars
(Debee Tlumacki / Globe Photo)
Teams are introduced before the North girls' gymnastics championships at Hudson High School.
Gymnasts of the Year
boys / junior
Blake Ellis, Braintree
The junior cleaned up at the state
championship this year. Ellis was the
all-around champion (50.2), placing
first in the floor exercise, parallel
bars, vault, and high bar. Ellis also
placed second in the rings event and
third in the pommel horse.
girls / junior
Erin Machado, Case
The 5-foot-1-inch junior broke Case’s
vault, floor, and beam records this
season, and also set the all-around
scoring record (38.02). Machado
placed first in the Cranberry Conference,
south sectional, and state
championship meets.
Coaches of the Year
boys
Dick Seibert, Braintree
The three-time coach of the year has
coached 19 years and won seven state
titles during his tenure. Seibert, who
graduated from Braintree High,
holds a 107-38 career record and this
year led his team to its 17th state
championship in school history.
girls
Kerri Foley, Burlington
The two-time Middlesex League
Coach of the Year brought the Red
Devils their first league title in 10
years with an 8-0 record. Foley, a
Burlington High graduate and former
gymnast, has coached gymnastics
for five years.
Boys All-Scholastics
junior
Chris Brown, Burlington
Brown finished second in the floor
exercise, third on the high bar, and
fourth all-around in this season’s
state meet. The Burlington gymnast
serves as treasurer of his junior class
and participated at the US Gymnastics
Training Center.
junior
Christopher Chu, Andover
Five-foot-11-inch Chu was fifth in the
all-around at states this year with a
score of 37.55. He also tied for fourth
in the pommel horse and sixth in the
vault. The junior also runs track and
has interests in information technology
and animation.
senior
John Ellis, Braintree
A member of three of Braintree’s
state championship teams, Ellis
placed second all-around at this
year’s state meet (43.1) after placing
fourth last season. The Student
Council president is also a member of
the varsity soccer team.
junior
Alexander Foster, Burlington
This season Foster placed first on the
still rings at the Coaches’ Invitational
and state meet as the Red Devils
finished second. The 5-foot-6-inch
junior was also a member of Burlington’s
first-place team win at states
last year.
senior
Erik Guillette, Attleboro
The senior captain finished second in
the vault at the state meet with a
score of 8.60. He also placed fifth in
the floor exercise and sixth allaround
in states. Guillette, an honor
roll student, plans to attend the
Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
sophomore
Ryan Hynes, Braintree
The sophomore finished third allaround
for Braintree in this year’s
state championship, with a score of
42.9. When Hynes, a two-time All-
Scholastic, isn’t participating in
gymnastics, he enjoys playing soccer
and the drums.
Girls All-Scholastics
senior
Kelsey Cofsky, Walpole
The 5-foot-3-inch gymnast was the
individual state champion and a
Massachusetts national qualifier this
season, her first as a high school
competitior. Cofsky, who is an honor
roll student, will attend the University
of Maryland next fall.
senior
Caitlin Fowler, Acton-Boxboro
The two-time Dual County League
Gymnast of the Year finished eighth
overall in the state championship
meet. The 5-foot-1-inch gymnast,
who also plays soccer and lacrosse, is
a member of the National Honor
Society.
junior
Chelsey Harper, Barnstable
Recipient of the Winter Sports
Sportsmanship Award, Harper was
this year’s vault, uneven bars, and
floor champion in the Cranberry
League. Harper led the Red Raiders
to their third straight state title and
was fifth in the all-around.
senior
Lauren Kempton, Chelmsford
Kempton was selected to the Massachusetts
Senior National team and
led Chelmsford to a 9-1 record. The
honor student also was named the
Middlesex Valley Conference Gymnast
of the Year and placed second
all-around at the conference meet.
junior
Shannon Kidger, Danvers
As the Cape Ann League/Northeastern
Conference MVP, Kidger led her
team to the North sectional and a
fifth-place finish. At the North meet,
the Danvers captain finished tied for
second in the all-around. An honor
roll student, she also plays softball.
sophomore
Rachel Mattison, Andover
Mattison earned Rookie of the Year
honors last year and was this season’s
MVP for Andover. Aside from setting
the school record on the balance
beam (9.5), she placed first in the
all-around Merrimack Valley Conference
meet and third at states.
sophomore
Michelle McGahan, Acton-Boxboro
As a member of Dual County League
champion Acton-Boxboro, the sophomore
finished seventh overall in the
state meet, as well as the bars and
vault. McGahan also earned the top
all-around score in the north sectional
meet.
senior
Sarah Meinelt, Masconomet
The senior captain, 12th in the allaround
at the state meet, was named
to the Massachusetts Senior National
team. Meinelt also was named a Cape
Ann/Northeastern Conference All-
Star as Masco won the North sectional
title. She will attend Holy Cross.
junior
Leah Pacheco, Barnstable
The three-time Cranberry League
All-Star has been a member of Barnstable’s
last three championship
teams. Pacheco, who also is a cheerleader,
was named the all-around
champion in last year’s conference
meet and placed second this season.
senior
Ashley Paulsen, Framingham
Paulsen was a Bay State Conference
All-Star and placed first all-around in
the league. At the Coaches Invitational,
the gymnast and cheerleader
finished second. Paulsen, who was
chosen for the national team, will
attend Arizona State this fall.
junior
Jenn Quirnbach, Andover
The former Rookie of the Year and
team MVP broke two Andover
records this season on the vault (9.5)
and floor exercise (9.5). The 5-foot-5-
inch junior finished seventh allaround
at the state meet, scoring a
36.35.
senior
Lindsey Robinson, Case
The senior captain and Case MVP
placed second all-around at the
Cranberry League meet, as well as
the team state championship. Robinson
also placed first on the uneven
bars at South sectionals and the
MIAA team state championship.
junior
DeAnna Vecchiarello, Hamilton-Wenham
The 5-foot-3-inch junior was named
team MVP for a third straight year
and finished fourth in the state individuals
with a 36.625. Vecchiarello
plans to attend a four-year college to
study accounting and business after
graduation.
All-Stars
- Cranberry South: Erin Machado, Lindsey Robinson, and Sarah McLintoch, Case/Seekonk; Leah Pacheco, Chelsea Harper, Brittan Morris, and Anna Morgan, Barnstable; Heather Spring, Rachael Livofli, Danielle Haflam, and Jillian Kitterick, Bridgewater-Raynham.
- Cranberry North: Keelin O’Connell, Katey Letswche, Corey Whalen, and Jillian Costa, Notre Dame (H); Heather Ainslie, Hanover/Rockland; Berkeley Hall, Pembroke; Brian Malone and Courtney Kirellis, Brockton; Nick Teceno, Silver Lake; Samantha Sprague, Cohasset/Norwell; Lindsay Constitine, Hingham/Scituate.
- Dual County: Caitlin Fowler, Julia Degemmis, and Cami Agle, Acton- Boxboro; Nicole Rogers and Lindsay Culbert-Olds, Arlington; Reina Ostar, Lincoln-Sudbury; Emily Heeren, Sarah Berman, and Cora Visnick, Newton South; Sarom Kim, Sarah Cusson, Danielle Craig, Alex Harkness, Amber DiLuzio, and Carly Tiches, Westford Academy.
- Greater Boston: Marisa Barnaby and Janessa Hughes, Medford; Alana Casey, Molly Brickman, Kat Mathieu and Amanda DiPietrantonio, Malden; Sam Borrus, Jessica Burgo, Stevie Lane and Hannah Firestone, Cambridge.
- Hockomock: Emily Damari and Josh Klein, Canton; Jen Esposito, Michelle Ivanoski, Ally Neenan, Erin Richard and Amy Sterling, Mansfield; Mary Ocel, North Attleboro; Valerie Cohen, Oliver Ames; Jessica Armstrong, Kelsey Seto, and Vonai Moyo, Sharon.
- Merrimack Valley: Shilanna Gallo and Tori Catanzano, Central Catholic; Taylor Federchook, Billerica; Jenn Quirnbach, Rachel Mattison, and Jenny Coneeny, Andover; Courtney Bradley, Methuen; Tara McMahon, Lauren Kempton, Jen Cowley, and Hayley Rennie Chelmsford.
- Middlesex: Leighann Ellis, Cara DiPerna, Alyssa Mitchell, and Kristen McIver, Burlington; Kerin Martin, Jackie Whalen, and Jessie Roh, Melrose; Evelyn Lamurgalia and Brianna Spezzafari, Winchester; Brandon Epstein, Stoneham.