Eagles Girls Gymastics: Loss to Howell

Middletown High School South's girls gymanstics team vaulted off to a good start this season, but couldn't quite propel it into a win over Howell yesterday.

Coming into this season the Howell Lady Rebel gymnastics team was looking to build on its success from previous years with a balance of returning talent and new members. 

With their season-opening meet, the girls got started on a strong note with a 104.75-100.4 win over the squad from . And a newcomer made the biggest impression on the day as senior Courtney Boyle won the vault, bars and floor exercises on her way to an all-around first-place finish. 

With a 35.9 in the all-around, Boyle had some breathing room ahead of South's Molly Tumulty, who recorded a 34.35 on the day. Coming in a close third was Howell's Bayleigh Fobes, who finished the day with a 34.15.

Coach Jennifer Hier said for the first meet there was a lot to be proud of for her team. "We were pleased with our score and how we performed," she said. "There is a lot of room for improvement so we are looking forward to our upcoming events."

One of the strongest events on the day for Howell was the vault where Boyle and Monet Masters both recorded a 9.1 while Fobes was right behind them with an 8.9. Boyle and Fobes also helped boost their team in the bars with Boyle recording an 8.8 followed by Fobes in second with an 8.65. The closest Middletown gymnast was Molly Tumulty, who had an 8.035 for her team.

The only event Boyle did not win was the beam, which Tumulty took with an 8.85. Boyle was not far behind as the senior had a respectable score of 8.8 for the Lady Rebels. She was back on track in the floor exercises with a 9.2 to pick up the win. She finished just ahead of teammate Antoanette Bronisevsky, who had a 9.15 in the first meet of her sophomore year.