By Christopher Tremblay

Since having moved from the Bay State Conference to the Tri-Valley League, many Norwood sports have been successful. Unfortunately, that is not something that can be said of the gymnastics team. Norwood has gone winless during the last few seasons due to the much stronger league.

“There are only a few schools that have gymnastics in the Tri-valley League, but they are co-op teams and much tougher to go up against,” Norwood Coach Karen Broderick said. “Their skill level is much higher, and typically some of the strongest gymnastics teams in the state. I can see the potential in our girls but we are just not there yet.”

While the Mustangs do have five seniors gracing this year’s squad, Broderick will be looking to her all around athletes to carry the load. The three girls, all underclassmen, will take part in all four events (floor, balance beam, vault and uneven bars).

Taking part in one event takes a lot of hard work and determination, but to be able to compete in all four events requires a lot of skill. The vault has speed and explosiveness; bars incorporate upper body strength, concentration and timing; beam is a combination of balance and mental toughness, while floor exercise is endurance with a choreographed routine covering the entire floor.

Norwood has three talented athletes that will compete in all four events for the Mustangs. Participating as all arounds will be Caitlyn Hamwey, Megan Weafer, and Audrey Broderick. Hamwey is the only junior on this year’s team; she is more experienced on the floor having come from an extensive dance background. According to the coach, she brings a great energy to the floor and has a great work ethic.

Weafer is part of a group of younger athletes that are on the rise up for Norwood. As a full-time gymnast she is taking part in the sport all year long, but unfortunately, she had an injury last year that kept her away from competing last year.

“Megan is coming off a foot injury having missed a good part of last season,” Broderick said. “She is probably our strongest athlete in the all around and we will be looking to see what type of impact she can make in the team this year. I am also hoping to see her excel on the vault as long as she can stay healthy.”

Another full season gymnast and sophomore, Broderick, has improved tremendously over last year and the coach believes that she should be able to take her status to the next level with all her upgraded routines this year. Broderick is not your typical athlete as she excels on the balance beam being that calm, cool and collective individual while competing on a narrow piece of wood.

The coach knows that all three girls are super hard workers with a great work ethic and should be able to help this team throughout the season. The Mustangs are a relatively young team this winter with a lot of incoming freshman joining the team. 

“The three all arounds are going to have to set the tone for the younger girls coming in,” the coach said. “They need to not only stay healthy but evolve and upgrade their skills throughout the season so that we can improve as a team.”

Being that they participate in a tough Tri-Valley League, Broderick will be looking at how the girls score on their routines and how well they execute those routines. She will be looking for overall improvement instead of wins to gauge their success throughout the year. 

“We’re hoping that we can have a stronger year than in the past,” Broderick said. “We would like to beat our previous averages while staying motivated.”

The ability to accomplish the coach’s goals will rely heavily on the three girls, but the team will also look to the seniors to help bring things home. Broderick will also look to seniors Kaylin Carreiro, Kate Broderick, Olivia Loud, Catarina Silva, and Charlotte Martino; all who have been an important part of the team over the years.