After last year’s undefeated regular season, the gymnastics team came into the season hoping to duplicate their success. After losing many seniors, among them back-to-back state uneven bar champion Claire Miller, the team is still looking strong.


The season has been successful thus far, edging out Gaithersburg by a tenth of a point in the first meet on March 26, blowing out Blair on April 2, and beating Sherwood on April 16.

Strong performances this year have come with last year’s all-Gazette gymnast, sophomore Shannon Mitchell, senior Jenny Roche and freshman Emily Newcomb. Co-coaches Deena Nasr and Ursula Bright believe that the team has come together this year very well and that it was reflected in the Blair victory.

“The girls were a really cohesive group and we were able to win,” said Nasr.

The team has surprised many with their impressive start, after last year’s coach, Jill Neustadt, did not return to the team. Nasr and Bright, WJ and Gaithersburg alums respectively, have stepped in and coached the team to their hot start.

“Being a new coach and coaching high school gymnastics for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Bright. “I was just hoping that we would just go to every meet and try our best no matter what. That is all that really matters to me.”

The Sherwood win may just have showed the competitors how good this team really is, as the Warriors were picked by many to be one of the top teams in the county this year.

“If we can go out there and hit our routines with no falls and minimal errors, we will be able to contend for one of the top two spots in the county and state,” Nasr said.