Beat rivals with season-high point total; now 5-1

Published in the February 9, 2018 edition

By JENNIFER GENTILE

MELROSE’S SHAY Fennell was among those who helped Melrose (5-1) beat rival Winchester last Friday. (Donna Larsson photo)

MELROSE—The Melrose Lady Raider gymnastic team remains 5-1 on the season after a victory over Burlington and a satisfying home win over arch rival Winchester on Friday, Feb. 2 by a score of 140.5-134.35. It represents Melrose’s highest point total of the season as Melrose dominated in all four events. 

Against the Sachems, Melrose’s best event of the night was the floor exercise, with a total of 35.5 behind the efforts of Shay Fennell (8.55), Izzy Albuja (8.7), Ciara Smith (8.95) and Katie Wright (9.3). Winchester’s top scorer of the day was Dan Barksy on vault (9.35) but otherwise the Sachem gymnasts struggled to produce top scores, while Melrose also dominated in vault bars and beam. 

Melrose started the night with a very strong vault routine led by Katie Wright (9.15) Brooke Barriss (9.0), Ciara Smith (8.7) and Nicole Nzui (8.5). Leading the beam contingent were Ciara Smith (9.1), Katie Wright (8.7) Shay Fennell (8.7) and Mya Marshall (8.4). And Melrose took 34.8 points on the bars behind the work of Shay Fennell (8.2), Jane Harrington (8.4), Ciara Smith 8.75) and Katie Wright (9.05). Their collaborative effort knocked off their rivals for Melrose’s fourth win. 

On Tuesday, Melrose posted another victory over Burlington on the road by a score of 136.09-128.85. Melrose swept three events with their best effort in the vault, with Nicole Nzui, Ciara Smith, Brooke Barriss and Katie Wright (9.1) coming up big. Melrose also saw impressive efforts in bars with Ciara Smith, Katie Wright, Jane Harrington leading, and in the floor Katie Wright earned a meet-high score of 9.3. 

Melrose hosts Wakefield tonight at 7:00 p.m. before competing in the 2018 Middlesex League Championship in Stoneham at 5:30 at Stoneham High.