Gymnasts excited to return home
By Ken Powers Community Reporter
Northborough/Southborough - The Algonquin Regional gymnastics team has a facility and a new coach, but their focus is on something old, the acclaim that comes with winning league and state titles, something the Tomahawks last accomplished in 1994.

Amelia Davis, a former gymnastics team member who graduated in 2000, is now the coach, taking over for Sabine St. Pierre, whom she assisted for the previous three seasons. Davis teaches social studies at Algonquin.

"I felt like the time was right to step away and let Amelia take over," St. Pierre said. "I felt like I had gotten the team through the construction and transition of the past four years. I figured with a new gym and new equipment, they should have a new coach, too."

St. Pierre, who is a fourthgrade teacher at the Neary School, said the decision was a tough one to make.

"I deliberated a long time," St. Pierre said. "It's such a great, great group of girls. I'm going to miss working with them day in and day out, but I'll be at meets. They'll see plenty of me."

Elisa Lepene and Aimee Levesque will assist Davis. Lepene is a biology teacher at Algonquin, while Levesque, who graduated from Algonquin in 2002 and was a member of the gymnastics program, is a teacher's aide at the Woodward School in Southborough.

The Tomahawks' new facility is located just inside the main entrance of the renovated school. Because it is an auxiliary gym at the school, the team will be able to leave its equipment and apparatus out and assembled, as opposed to having to break it down and put it away after each practice.

Algonquin has called Hudson High home the last four years, practicing and holding home meets at the neighboring school. The return home has led to an increased interest in the sport among the student body. The Tomahawks, who have traditionally had about 15 to 20 members, this year feature a roster of 28 performers.

"I don't know how to explain it," Davis said. "We're gone for four years and when we get back, everybody wants to join."

Davis said the increase in numbers will allow her to break the group into two mini-teams. One will consist of a core group that will be the regular competitors during meets and contribute to the teams success immediately. The second group will be a collection of performers who will be looked to primarily pay dividends down the road, either later in the season or in following seasons.

The 2007-2008 edition of the Tomahawks will be led by co-captains Jill Cirelli and Rhian Duggan. Cirelli, a senior, and Duggan, a junior, helped lead Algonquin to a 7-3 record last year.

A key component of the team will be senior Rachel Ackley. Ackley was the team's top all-around performer last season, finishing eighth in the state meet on the balance beam, fifth in the vault and seventh in the floor exercise.

In addition to Ackley and Cirelli, seniors who will be looked to for clutch performances include Allison McGinnity, Laura Egan and Sam Nee. Juniors who Davis will count on include Duggan, Robyn Miller, who missed much of last season with an injury, and Helen Yang.

Among those Davis expects to slide into key roles on the team this season include sophomores Emily Rutan, Nicole Henry and Kelsey Henningson and freshmen Riley Duggan (Rhian's younger sister) and Amanda Hubley.