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BY JOSH PERRY (@Josh_Perry10)
The Medfield, Ashland, and Dover-Sherborn (MADS) gymnastics program started the season with a close loss to Medway but has reeled off four straight wins (including the rematch with the Mustangs) and is looking like a team poised for a return to states.
“I think they saw that they can hang with the best of them and they are more motivated than ever to do their best,” said MADS coach Jennifer Libin after the team’s 144.8-99.5 victory over Westwood on Saturday afternoon at Gymnastics Express.
“Returning to the tournament is absolutely a motivation for all the girls but they really do appreciate every accomplishment and every strive forward and I’m proud of them for having that perspective.”
Getting better every meet is Libin’s lone expectation for the team each season and she has been pleasantly surprised by how quickly the girls have improved through the opening five meets of the season.
“They have exceeded my expectations for this point in the season,” she explained. “I knew they were capable of scores they’ve gotten so far but I’m impressed at how quickly they’ve gotten there.”
Balancing a roster that includes girls from three schools is not an easy process, but Libin has found several gymnasts that have emerged as regular contributors.
Juniors Chrissy Tosti, Chloe Covell, and Caitlin Keaveny of Ashland have all returned and continued to contribute points this season. Ali Keaveny, also from Ashland, is a newcomer that Libin praised for her consistency.
Medfield junior Laura Cerulle has been competing in all four events for MADS this season and D-S sophomore Sophia Cutler was described as a “standout” by Libin. The coach added, “She has been a top scorer on all four events and has competed in the all around every meet for us this season.”
The team will look to keep its winning streak alive this week against Natick and Shrewsbury, but for Libin the experience of competing and improving is more important than the record.
“My expectation is to get each of our competitors to reach their full potential,” she said.
“The last few years we have had many extremely talented girls join our program and they have grown each year and that’s really the ultimate goal.”
See more photos from the Westwood meet at
https://hometownweekly.smugmug.com/Medfield/Medfield-School-Sports/MADS-Gymnastics-vs-Westwood.
