Westfield senior gymnast Taryn Hamel flips on the vault during a regular season meet. Hamel is seeking an award-winning finish after posting a spectacular season, including six of eight All-Around victories. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – There have been rising stars and rule changes, and teams have come and gone (Gateway being the most recent), but through it all there has been one constant when it comes to gymnastics in western Massachusetts.
They are an army of multi-faceted, super-talented supreme individual athletes working toward team-oriented goals. They are … the Westfield Bombers.
Led by coach Joanne Hewins, the Westfield High gymnastics team has won six straight west sectionals, produced countless All-Around medalists, and strung together an unrivaled unbeaten streak – including regular and postseason – of 121-0.
This is a photo, by Westfield News chief photographer Frederick Gore of Joanne Hewins, which was used in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd” coaches’ edition in December 2011 when Hewins was selected to appear in its magazine for her success with the Bombers’ gymnastics team. The team is still going strong.
The top-seeded Bombers will seek its seventh consecutive title Friday at Minnechaug Regional High School when the championships kick off at 6 p.m.
“I’m going into it with mixed emotions,” said Hewins, who recently announced her retirement to begin immediately after Friday night’s finals. Hewins still plans on working with future gymnasts in the Whip City.
“I feel it’s time,” she said. “This is the last chapter.”
Some 14 seniors will also turn the final pages of their high school gymnastics careers. One of those seniors is Taryn Hamel, who has been on fire all season. Hamel enters Friday’s championship having won six of eight All-Around competitions. She finished third in the 2012 championship All-Around competition with a 33.65.
“She just has to be solid and consistent like she has all year,” Hewins said of Hamel.
Hewins said Hamel, Westfield’s Angela Bonavita, Minnechaug’s Sara O’Brien and Kenzie Lee, Agawam’s Alison Renaud, and Chicopee Comp’s Sabrina Alekseyeno will likely challenge for the All-Around crown this time around.
Westfield hoists its sixth straight west sectional championship plaque after a first-place finish at the 2012 finals. The Bombers are seeking to improve upon its all-time best winning streak – regular and postseason – of 121-0 when they participate in Friday night’s championship at Minnechaug Regional High School. The finals begin at 6 p.m. (File photo by Frederick Gore)
As far as the other team’s other gymnasts are concerned, the Bombers’ coach said they too need to be “consistent,” and “healthy” for the team to once again find itself holding the championship plaque among a sea of red and black when all is said and done Friday night.
“Practice is going well this week,” Hewins said Wednesday. “We’re on the right path.”
One darkhorse to watch is freshman Kendall Neidig, who has posted impressive results throughout the regular season. The cheering section might be a bit smaller for Kendall than usual as her brother, Cody, will be playing in the football championship the same night at Central High School.
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Look for our preview of the Division 2 West football championship in Friday’s edition of The Westfield News.
