The question going into the Pinkerton Academy gymnastics squad’s Ball Family Trophy meet at Londonderry High Friday night, Jan. 15, was “Could the LHS Lady Lancers give Pinkerton a real run for a key victory head-to-head?”
Londonderry competed well and tallied an impressive score, but the defending state champion Lady Astros were even better and upped their 2015-16 record to 11-0. The teams from Dover High and Spaulding High School in Rochester also competed and finished well behind both PA and Londonderry.
“This was slated to be the toughest competition for us as we took on a strong Londonderry team. But we ran away with the win, scoring a 135.75 while the Lancers scored a 131.8. Spaulding was third with a 101, and Dover was fourth with a 100,” said coach Chelsie Burland. “We’ve now won every Ball Family Trophy (meet) since 2011-2012.”
Talented junior standout Julianna Corsetto led the way for the victorious Lady Astros by clinching first places on the uneven bars (8.2) and balance beam (9.3) and also in the all-around (35.2).
“Those were career-highs for Julianna on beam and in the all-around,” said Burland. “She currently holds the highest all-around score in the state this season.”
Corsetto also took a second place in the floor exercise (8.5) and a third on vault (9.2).
Pinkerton junior Michelle George also put up a career-high on vault in snagging second place (9.25), and skilled freshman Emily Connors pulled out her first career win in the floor exercise (8.6) while also snaring third places on bars (7.9) and in the all-around (33.5).
Another standout freshman for Pinkerton is Ashlee Loeffler, who collected a career-best score of 9.1 on the vault that day and also nabbed a second place on the balance beam (8.95) while tallying yet another career-best performance.
