Saturday, March 14, was a huge day in New Hampshire gymnastics history. And the Pinkerton Academy gymnastics squad played a central role in the proceedings.
Astro head coach Chelsie Burland’s 2014-15 state championship squad became the first Granite State group to play host to the New England Interscholastic Gymnastics Championships, and senior star Brittany Capozzi and her fellow Lady Astros did masterful work with their efforts on the equipment and the mats in finishing a strong third overall out of 12 talented teams.
The top three squads from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island at their respective state championship meets competed at the event, with a slew of talented independent gymnasts taking part as well.
The 21st annual New England event’s team title was won by the crew from Barnstable (Mass.) High School, with a point total of 147.125. The Woodstock Academy (Vermont) entry finished a close second with a tally of 147, and the host Lady Astros finished third with a season-high 144.675.
“We have nothing at all to be disappointed with,” said Burland. “A third place at New Englands is like a first place at states. The teams we were up against were absolutely phenomenal, and we would have had to have been perfect to win.”
Senior standout Capozzi capped off her high school career with a superb day at the New England competition, bagging second places on vault (score of 9.6), balance beam (tied with a 9.650), and in the all-around (38.175), a third on the uneven bars (9.550), and a fourth place in the floor exercise (9.375).
The PA stalwart – who is still in the process of deciding where she will compete in collegiate gymnastics – was mere percentage points behind Paige Stuyniski of Woodstock Academy (38.475) in the battle for the all-around title. But the Lady Astros’ standout was still all smiles after the meet.
“Other than a small slip on the beam, I don’t think I’d want to change anything I did today,” she said. “I’m very pleased. I had my highest all-around score ever, and I’m happy with my performance.
Along with Capozzi’s fine efforts, the academy crew had Julianna Corsetto register top-10 finishes in the vaulting and on the uneven bars, and a 15th-place performance in the all-around (35.50).
Elizabeth Bilodeau, Jordan Mayhew, Juliana Iarrobino, Michelle George, Samantha Day, Kylie Muzerall, Isabel Silveira, and Jackie Bogaczyk also made some fine contributions to the academy team’s third-place overall finish.
