MEDINA: Stow captured its second consecutive Northeastern Ohio Conference River Division title at the NOC Gymnastics Championship meet held Saturday afternoon at Medina High School.
Stow placed first in three of the four events and won with a team score of 134.6. Solon finished second with a score of 128.95 and Cuyahoga Falls placed third at 123.125.
“It’s definitely a great feeling to be back-to-back River Division champions,” said Stow coach Kaylie Stallard. “We have a pretty young team but they’ve stepped it up in practice and showed their skills. I couldn’t be happier.”
Senior Allison Marino led the Bulldogs in three of the four events and was named the all-around champion for the second time in as many years. She had a total score of 35.825.
Marino won the parallel bars (8.85) and placed second in the beam (8.75) and floor exercise (9.125). Her worst finish was a 9.1 in the vault, good for fourth place.
“It feels great,” Marino said. “I was nervous because after the bars, I didn’t put together my best routine. I was excited that I was able to bring it back with the rest of the events.”
With Marino being a repeat champion in her senior year, she entered Saturday’s meet with lofty expectations.
‘‘There was more pressure this time, this being my senior year,” she said. “My expectations were set high and I feel like everyone else had them set high for me, too, and I didn’t want to let anyone down.”
Marino said she wasn’t perfect and could do better, but did some things well that can carry momentum into the upcoming sectional meet.
“My back-tuck-back-handspring on the beam usually isn’t very consistent,” Marino said. “I didn’t connect it today, but I still stayed on and was happy with that.”
Marino’s teammate, Jen Rinaldi, a freshman, finished third in three events—vault, parallel bars and floor exercise.
Rinaldi also took third in all-around with a total score of 34.175.
Stallard sees that Rinaldi is beginning to find a comfort zone in her first year at the high school level.
Rinaldi “came into the season being a little bit hesitant, maybe a little inconsistent,” Stallard said. “Now, she’s got a really good handle on this high school business.
‘‘She’s starting to come into her own and mature and understand things.”
Stallard also knows her Bulldogs are riding the momentum into sectional competition.
“This time off before sectionals will give us a chance to clean up our skills and perfect our routines,” she said. “When it comes to sectionals, we’ll be ready. Our team goal is to make states.”
While Stow enters the postseason hot, Cuyahoga Falls is dealing with the loss of one of its leaders.
Stephanie Rosza, a junior, sprained her ankle two weeks ago and won’t be available for the rest of the year.
Her absence isn’t just a tough break at the scorebook—it’s taking a toll on her team mentally, as well. Coach Jessica Farina can see the difference.
“Stephanie is our team leader, our emotional leader,” Farina said. “All we can do is go out and compete, but you can tell something’s missing.”
Sophomore Nicole Rosza, Stephanie’s younger sister, felt the absence but performed well.
Rosza’s score of 33.4 placed her fifth overall. She also finished in the top six in all four events.
“I felt I did well, but I could do better,” Rosza said. “It’ll prepare me for what I need to do at sectionals.”
This was the first time in a long time that Rosza didn’t have her older sister, her “support system,” as Farina put it, by her side.
“It was a lot different [without her there],” Rosza said. “I just had to focus on what I was supposed to do, then I was OK.”
Mentor won the Valley Division title with a score of 142.125.
Read the high school blog at www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RyanLewis83.
