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Bobcat gymnasts gaining on Yellow Jackets
Battlefield had its first prime opportunity in its gymnastics program’s history to top powerhouse Osbourn Park during a regular-season meet last Wednesday at home but came up just short of the Yellow Jackets when the points were tallied.
The Bobcats (137.5) finished second behind defending-state champion OP (138.9) in the four-team Cedar Run District meet that included Loudoun Valley (134.9) and Stonewall Jackson (98.9). Osbourn Park won despite injuries to standouts Megan McDonald and Sara Mogavero that kept the two stars from competing.
Osbourn Park’s advantage over Battlefield has dwindled from 3.7 points to 1.4 points since the start of the season.
“I remember the scores were okay” in the first week, said sophomore Katie Surface, who finished tied for fourth on the vault.
Now, however, “Everybody seems to be working harder.”
Sophomore Mandy Brown led the Bobcats with three scores above a 9.0 and an all-around total of 36.55 as she earned first place on the floor (9.4), second on the vault (9.1) and uneven bars (8.85) and fourth on the balance beam (9.2). She tied OP’s Briana Knox for first-place in the all-around, even after Knox earned meet-high scores of 9.6 on both the vault and beam.
While Brown’s first-ever all-around victory came as the surprise of the day, little-known freshmen Heather Duffy and Jasmine Zellars earned some attention too.
Brown and sophomore Surface usually grab the headlines for Battlefield’s gymnastics team as they are the undisputed leaders of the program but with Surface opting out of the all-around competition last Wednesday, Duffy stepped in and placed second to Brown on the team with a 9.1 tally on the floor, earning her sixth overall. She also tied Surface for second place on the team with a beam score of 8.6.
According to Surface, the club-gymnast Duffy has been one of the most improved members of the squad since the season began last month along with freshman Sarah Jacobson.
Jacobson has also become a prime example of what Surface meant by her “working harder” comment as the freshman’s hands “are just tore up” from being on bars for so long, White stated. It’s not that the coach has pushed her too hard either: when asked if she’s finished her workout, Jacobson typically replies, “No,” said the coach with a laugh.
Zellars snatched an 8.6 score on vault after pulling off a yami move that featured Zellars bending her body in a “V” shape after propelling herself from a front hand spring. The 8.6 tied her with Surface and OP’s Jacqui Teets for fourth place in the event.
Battlefield coach Chevonne White said the vault judge commented to her, “And that Zellars… she is (so) powerful!”
When everyone is healthy, Battlefield has five legitimate all-around contenders including Brown, Surface, Duffy, Jacobson and junior Becca Walls.
“She’s a go-to girl,” White said of Walls, referring to the junior’s ability to plug any gaps Battlefield might have in individual events. Walls finished 0.1 points behind Surface, Zellars and Teets on vault with a score of 8.5.
White said her girls need more consistent beam routines and, if possible, handle the bars better.
“They have to have good upper body strength” to compete on bars, commented the coach.
Fortunately for White, her team’s mentality has matched that described by Surface.
“The girls want to know what they can do to upgrade their routines,” said White, who added that Battlefield’s goal is to finish in the top-two at regions.
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