Darien YMCA Boys Gymnastics Team Wins State Title

The Darien YMCA Level 4 and 5 boys gymnastics teams recently competed at the Connecticut USAG State Championships in Suffield. In just the second year for the team, the Level 4 gymnasts captured first place in the team championship.

Monty Bell paced the Level 4 Division 1 squad, taking first on floor, vault and All-Around (AA) with 58.10 in the 9-10 age group, as well as placing second on pommel horse, third on high bar and fifth on parallel bars (p-bars). Max Kagels scored sixth on floor and high bar and fifth on rings and vault where he tied with teammate Jake Simon. Simon was also fourth on floor and seventh on high bar.

In the 7-8 group, Derin Leon took fourth on floor, vault and high bar and fifth on pommel horse, p-bars and AA. George McCallum vaulted to sixth. Jackson Lawrence topped the podium on floor and pommel horse in the 11 and up group , scoring 10.1 and 10.0 respectively and was third on p-bars and second on all other events and AA.

In the Level 5 Division 1 age 9-10 group, Ryland Herzog was champ on vault and high bar with a 11.20 and placed second on rings, fourth on p-bars, fifth on pommel horse, seventh on floor and third AA. Ryan Hough vaulted to third and was seventh on pommel horse.

Nate Smith was Darien’s sole competitor in the 11 and up group and earned fifth on pommel horse, rings and p-bars and sixth on high bar and AA. The team is coached by Yury Vasilyev.