2 WHS Students Take Top Gymnastics Titles

Casey Tarnow and Fiona Callahan won titles at the USA Gymnastics Level 9 Massachusetts State Championship Meet which took place in Auburn on Saturday, March 24. Casey placed first all-around in the Junior age division. Fiona finished second all-around in the Senior age division.

Both girls, who attend , are teammates on the Level 9 USA Team from Elite Gymnastics Academy in Ashland, coached by former Olympic gymnast Ivan Ivanov and Jacqui Olsen. USA Gymnastics is the national governing body for the teams, which are often the training ground for college and Olympic athletes.

Each female gymnast competes in four individual events: vault, floor, balance beam and the uneven bars. To win the all-around title, a competitor must earn the highest combinations of scores from each event. 

Both gymnasts enjoyed a series of successes in recent years. For Casey, this was her second time on the podium at a state meet, as she was also the state champion at the Level 7 meet three years ago. Fiona was the Region VI Level 8 All Stars all-around champion. Both girls also qualified and competed as members of the Northeast region squad at the Eastern US Junior Olympic Championships in 2011.

Both girls are committed to the sport, training an average of four hours a day, five or six days a week.

Their success at the Massachusetts State Championships qualifies them for the Northeast US Regional Championships whose top six finishers will then advance to the 2012 Eastern US RegionalChampionships to be held this May in Landover, MD.

Information courtesy of Dennis Callahan.

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