Gymnastics

Monticello Gymnastics Club comes up big in debut

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SYRACUSE, NY – Making their debut for the 2005 competitive season, the Monticello Gymnastics Club boys’ team made a strong statement at the West Side Gymnastics Club on December 9 against teams from the Syracuse and Binghamton areas.

The more advanced team members including Jonathan Ross and Kienan Garn competed for the first time in Level 8. Taylor Thomas moved up to Level 6. The United States Gymnastics Association changed the level order for boys for this year with beginning gymnasts rated at Level 1 and elite gymnasts competing at Level 10.

All three boys’ scores were high enough to qualify them for states this year. They will still need additional meets to complete their qualification requirements.

Ross and Garn each garnered first place in All-Around with their routines. Garn is grouped with the 14 to 15 year olds while Ross will be judged against athletes 16 and older. Thomas took second place in All-Around in his age group for Level 6.

In the morning session Cougar MacDowell and Jake Lang competed. It was MacDowell’s first meet. He won fourth place All-Around.

The boys’ team will be competing at the Central New York Gymnastics Club in Syracuse on February 6 at World Cup Gymnastics in Chappaqua, New York on February 19. The State meet will be held in Rochester this year on March 19 to 20.