Northborough/Southborough – Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) gymnastics coach Amelia Davis said it took a total team effort to keep its collective composure under intense pressure and win the state championship Feb. 26, capping an undefeated season.
Sophomore Chloe Herczeg echoed that team-first sentiment.
“Competing in team-oriented gymnastics has reignited my love for the sport,” she said.
The group will now head to the New England competition in Milford, Conn.
As a youngster, Herczeg was on the USA Gymnastics team for many years, winning five consecutive state championships. But the rigors of daily workouts and the individual pressure finally caught up and she walked away – until last year when she joined the ARHS team. As a freshman, she won the individual state floor championship and this year she won the state vault championship.
“Now, my personal success helps my team's success,” she said. “Having that sense of a team is why I love the sport so much.”
“The atmosphere on the team has really allowed her to blossom as a gymnast and as a leader, and that's very special,” Davis added.
Herczeg also plays soccer and will likely pursue a career in the sciences, such as chemical engineering or medicine.
She offered an insight about her new approach to competition: “Go in confident and attack the event. That's become my outlook on life, too.”
