WAYNESBORO – The Waynesboro High School gymnastics season begins on Tuesday, December 20, with a trip to Bellefonte High School as the team competes for the first time as a member of the Central Pennsylvania Gymnastics League.
The schools in the league are Altoona, Bellefonte, DuBois, Ridgway and St. Mary’s.
“Although there will be a lot of travel involved, this league will allow our girls to participate in a league championship meet and to have a regular meet schedule,” said Waynesboro coach Amy Dennis. “We’ve been picking up meets as we could the past few years, so it’s nice to know that we have a full PIAA schedule.”
This league hosts a league team championship meet at the end of the regular season where each team competes five gymnasts per event.
“Altoona has been the strongest team in this league for a number of years,” Dennis said. “They regularly compete in the Gold Division at the PA Classic State Championships and now we have to face them twice a year within our league.”
Waynesboro has a large team with some depth and could put up some big scores this season.
“I was hopeful coming into the season that we would be able to set a new school record,” Dennis said. “We were only about three points away at states last year and we didn’t lose anyone to graduation. But right now, that looks to be just beyond our reach.
“We aren’t practicing right now like a team that has big goals. We have a few very driven individuals who I expect to do very well, and I’m hoping that once we finally get into competition we’ll get more motivated.”
Five seniors highlight Waynesboro’s roster. Ella Blades, Brooke Bonner, Isabella Bonner, Alayja Ward and Alaina Warner are all returning from last season and four of the five have made multiple trips to the state competition.
“I’m hoping that all five seniors qualify for states this year,” Dennis said. “They are collectively a group of very good vaulters and Bella should qualify for her fourth trip to the state meet as an all arounder.
“Bella has worked incredibly hard this off season,” said Dennis. “She was the Gold Division champion on bars last year and her routine is even better this year. I’m exciting to see how she scores.”
Other varsity team members include juniors Jada Creager, Emily Knott, Annabelle Lutz, Annie Myers, sophomores Camryn Bonner, Addisyn Lehman and Lily McFarland and freshman Kayden Kettoman and Morgan Price. Junior Kyersten Zeigler and freshman Ellie Cieri will be floaters between the varsity and junior varsity squads.
Last year Camryn Bonner led the team in scoring and Jada Creager set a new school record in the vault.
“It’s nice to have a team with a lot of depth,” Dennis said. “We have a strong core group that is going to make it difficult for others to break into the lineup. Other than facing Altoona, the biggest challenge we are going to face is trying to get enough scores for everyone who should qualify for states.”
Additional junior varsity members include juniors Marisa Augenstein, Lexi Pearson and Robin Turner, sophomores DaMyia McKenzie and Aria Roell and freshmen McKenna Hutchins, Olivia Largent and Kylie Royer.
“Aria is the lone returner of this group,” Dennis said. “She’s a hard worker and a great role model for our first-year gymnasts.”
Waynesboro’s schedule: Dec. 20 at Bellefonte; Dec. 29 at Huntingdon (Garver YMCA); Jan. 4 at Altoona, Jan. 6 at Ridgway with DuBois; Jan. 7 at St. Mary’s Invitational; Jan. 12, Huntingdon (Senior Night); Jan. 14 at Moon Invitational; Jan. 18 Altoona; Jan. 21 Bellefonte; Jan. 27 at St. Mary’s with Ridgway.
