Gymnastics satisfied, despite loss to B-CC

MARCH 26, MONTGOMERY BLAIR HIGH SCHOOL–

The gymnastics team lost to a strong Bethesda-Chevy Chase squad in the first meet of the season on Friday, but a Blair gymnast claimed first place in the individual rankings.
 
Blair freshman Lisa Wong took first place with a combined score of 35.1, also placing first in the floor and balance beam competitions. The team total of 147.7, though not enough to beat B-CC's score of 168.15, is a Blair record.
 
Coach Paul Belliveau is pleased with both the final results and the way both teams competed. "We had a solid meet. The girls showed me that I can rely on them and B-CC was a great, friendly team to start the season against," he said.
 
Starting out on the vault, Blair looked relaxed through the entire meet. Cheering for their opponents numerous times, Blair gymnasts maintained a positive attitude toward a larger and clearly, stronger team. "Simply, B-CC is the best team in the county. They have depth that we can't match," Belliveau said.
 
One of the two presiding judges, John DiStefano, lauded both teams, praising Blair's team for its commitment despite a lack of resources. "I think they did very well. Especially since this is the first meet and they don't quite have the proper facilities, which does make a difference," he said.
 
Besides Wong, Blair had three other gymnasts in the top eight. These gymnasts, freshman Nicole Poor, sophomores Raya Steinberg and Rose Feinberg placed sixth, seventh and eight, respectively. All of Blair's gymnasts who participated in all four events placed among the top eight.
 
The four available events, the uneven bars, floor, balance beam and the vault were set up in the large gym. The team assembles the equipment in the gym for every practice and competition at Blair. The assembly entails the transfer of numerous mats from the wrestling room and the movement of various other necessary appliances from storage. With the help of their opponents, Blair's cleanup after the competition went quickly. "This is the fastest breakdown ever," Belliveau exclaimed.
 
The next meet will be on March 30 at Blair against Blake.