BrookWood gymnastics optimistic after season

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By Doug Hyde
Hometown Weekly Correspondent

No, it isn’t a typo.

BrookWood is the short name for the combined high school gymnastics team from Brookline and Westwood.

For the last three years, this co-op team has brought together high school gymnasts from both towns, giving more competitive opportunities and experience to these young athletes. This season, the team had nine students from Westwood and five from Brookline.

The Brookline/Westwood team is a young program, and its athletes are still building skills: there are no seniors, five juniors, six sophomores, and three freshmen. It is a co-ed squad, open to all, though only one male participates this season. They practice three days a week for two hours each day at Broderick Gymnastics’ Hyde Park location. While the students come from two different schools, they are considered one team, practicing and competing together with the same rules and expectations. Team captains this year have been Bianca Ouellette and Olivia Spink, both juniors from Westwood.

Tuesday’s competition versus Framingham was the season’s last regular meet, held in Holliston. The Brookline/Westwood team lost in a closely-fought battle, with Framingham’s team scoring 133.5 while B/W scored 122.1. There were four events for the two squads to advance through: uneven bars, vault, floor exercise, and balance beam. Two girls of the B/W team, both of Westwood, had personal bests in the balance beam event: junior Faye Durant scored an 8.5 and sophomore Julie Walsh scored 8.4.

While the Brookline/Westwood season, on paper, was disappointing, with just one win in eight competitions, there is optimism with this young team.

Team members have taken on expanded roles by competing in more than one or two events. Also, the coming off-season will give time for injuries to heal to ready and strengthen the team for next year.

Two coaches guide the team, Ashley Walsh of Westwood and Jerri McMannis of Brookline. According to Coach McMannis, the two schools reevaluate the co-op arrangement every two years, deciding whether to combine the schools based on number of competing students from each school and those showing new interest.

The most recent evaluation happened prior to the season just ending, so the Brookline/Westwood team will continue to compete together at least through next year’s 2019-2020 season.