Season Outlook: GBW Boys’ Gymnastics
The Boys Glenbard West Gymnastics team is one of the many sports at West that adds character and pride to our school. After achieving second place as a team at State last year, the team anticipates this year to be filled with potential.
Mr. Novakowski, head coach of boys gymnastics, said, “My main goal for the team this year is for them to achieve their full potential. The team has an excellent chance to qualify for the state meet.” In addition to focusing on the season, he went on to say, “The Gymnastics team [will visit] Feed My Starving Children during Spring Break” to help give back to the community.
Alexander Demeris, junior team member, has been practicing gymnastics since he was six years old, and has been on West’s team for three years now. Unfortunately he suffered an injury that put his gymnastics career on hold for “about two years” but now he “practices 3+ hours Monday-Saturday” with the team. He said the team “practice usually begins with warmups and then a team talk for motivation- then we go to three events for around 45 minutes, and we end with strength for around 30 minutes.”
Demeris conveys that their team goal, “is to keep improving [the] team score and ultimately qualify for State.” Furthermore, with the year really kicking into gear Demeris has defined his personal goal as wanting “to place in the top 5 in state for all around.”
Coley McArdle, senior, has been invested in gymnastics since freshman year, practicing at Aerial Club during the off-season. McArdle’s practice routine differs slightly from his teammates since he is considered a specialist, someone who only does one event. McArdle’s event is the pommel horse. McArdle stated, “My favorite event is pommel horse, but I think floor is a really cool event” and his personal goal this year is “to win pommel horse,” however “winning with the team is more important to [him] though.”
This season is also the third year for Aiden Sup, junior, doing gymnastics here at West. Sup stated, “My goals as an individual are to get solid varsity routines” and that his “favorite event is the parallel bars.”
Demeris stated that his “favorite event is probably floor or high bar” despite participating in all events including pommel horse, high bar, vault, floor, parallel bars, and rings.
As the boys Glenbard West Gymnastics team approaches the season, the athletes are prepared and ready to represent West with pride, tradition, and excellence.
