MANCHESTER – It was their time to shine. Members of the Township Board of Education recently honored this year’s B-South Champion High School Girls Gymnastics Team.
Team members Katelyn Meyer, A’Lycia Moore, Juliana Cackowski, Bella Palmiotto, and Kaylin Krumich wore their new championship jackets as they received certificates and plaques from the board.
Athletic Director Keith Lister said that the team did something that very few of Manchester’s athletic programs have done by achieving back-to-back B-South championships.
Coach Julia Giglio-Stork spoke about the team. She said that last year, with seven girls on the team, they broke the school record for total points in a meet with 102.1. This year, with only five girls, they did not achieve a record but she explained how difficult it is with only five girls when most other teams have 15 or more.
“It’s very important for our girls to hit every single time in order to achieve B-South Champions, it’s very important for them to stay focused,” Giglio remarked. “All five girls also qualified for Sectionals, three girls qualified for Shore, and A’Lycia (Moore) qualified for State for the first time this year, so I want to congratulate them for that.”
The high school gymnastics program began in 2014 after a request from students and parents. Lacking equipment at Manchester, the school was able to start the program through an agreement with Jackson Township Schools to use their facilities.
The team continues to use the Jackson facilities to this day. Giglio said that it is difficult for the team to fill the seats at meets because their home competitions are at Jackson, so she thanked the parents and families for their support.
Giglio also invited students to join the team if they were interested in the sport, even if they have no experience. “We’ll teach you,” she added.
