News of the Hampshire Regional YMCA gymnastics program’s potential close overshadowed its recent success at nationals.
The team competed at the YMCA National Championships for the first time in at least 10 years and came home with some hardware.
Hampshire brought 28 gymnasts ages 9-15 to nationals, which was held June 27-30 at the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio.
Five of those gymnasts took home a collective seven national championships.
“The kids had just been so hyped up for it,” Hampshire YMCA gymnastics coach Marion Jordan said. “It extended their season and they performed the way they wanted to in most cases.”
Nationals drew 105 teams and 2,400 gymnasts.
Elsie Baker, 12, of Leeds, was a national champion on vault and bars in the Excel Silver division. She scored 9.450 on vault and a 9.550 on bars. She finished second in the all-around after placing third on beam and eighth on floor.
Arya Page, 11, of Florence, is also a two-time champion. Competing in Level 3, Page won floor with a score of 9.700 and won the all-around at 37.525. She was third on vault, third on beam and sixth on bars.
Hampshire YMCA produced three national champion on beam.
Kailey Murphy, 14, of Florence, scored 9.300 to win beam in the Xcel Gold division. She was also fifth on bars, 10th on floor and seventh in the all-around.
Eleanor Lewis, 11, of Florence, took home the national beam title in Level 5. She scored a 9.000.
Morgan Brown-McNeil, 11, of Northampton, won beam in Level 3. She scored a 9.500. She also placed second on bars, ninth on vault and was fourth in the all-around.
Other competitors and their top finish:
Xcel Silver — Edalena Savage (fourth on both beam and floor), Jenna Talbot (11th on vault), Alex Wilga (ninth on bars) and Heather Twarog (second on bars).
Level 6 — Teagan McDonald (fifth on vault) and Yelena Caldanaro (seventh on floor).
Level 7 — Kate Sullivan (second on vault).
Level 4 — Avery Nakashian (second on bars), Allison Sullivan (eighth on bars), Eva Romero (fourth on beam), Natalie Jordan (15th on beam), Camilla Brewer (12th on bars) and Lydia Allen (fifth on both vault and bars).
Xcel Gold — Summer Sorensen (second on both vault and bars), Lily Curtin-Adelman (13th on beam), Quincy Biddle (second on vault) and Emily Godden (11th on floor).
Level 5 — Ursula von Goeler (fifth on both bars, beam and all-around) and Bella Vassallo (sixth on floor).
Level 3 — Mattea Segal (12th on bars), Madison Aimi-Starkoski (12th on vault), Allison Edmands (seventh on floor) and Margaux Galvin (fifth on vault and floor).
Nastia Liukin, the 2008 Olympic individual all-around champion for the United States, served as keynote speaker and the team was invited to a minor league baseball game.
“We marched on the field at a Triple-A baseball game,” Jordan said. “The Toledo Mud Hens hosted us and the kids got to be a part of the game. The whole experience was pretty awesome.”
After 19 years with the Hampshire program, Jordan is leaving for a job with an Amherst health club.
“It was a very nice way to close out my season with them,” she said.
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com. Follow on Twitter at @mikemoran777.