Ringel impresses the judges again while Hanlon backs the squad with dominant scores

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courtesy of Lauren Tran

Senior Clare Hanlon preforms her floor routine.

Christopher M. Smith, Staff writer

The undefeated season continues: Boro Gymnastics never disappoints, bringing nothing but grace and passion to every competition. Last week, the Hunterdon Central Red Devils hosted the Lady Raiders; HCRHS has always been a strong competitor. Hunterdon Central ended with an impressive 104.025 total points, however they could not top Hillsborough’s score of 108.025.

This past Friday, the team hosted Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School and the girls continued to demonstrate excellency. They took the all-around title home, winning by over 5 points. Hillsborough finished with 104.475 points, while Scotch Plain’s tallied 99.4. Although Scotch Plains had an impressive team, they ultimately could not top the Boro gymnasts.

Junior Jordan Bell received first place on balance beam, classmates Haley Mandell received first place on vault and Samantha Ringel came in first place for floor exercise and uneven bars.

Although senior Clare Hanlon didn’t place first in her events, she was the backbone of the team. She placed second on the uneven bars with a score of 8.15, only 0.85 points away from Ringel’s 9.0. Throughout her career, one of Hanlon’s strengths has been the floor, which allowed her to score a 8.725, only 0.475 points away from Ringel’s first place score. Hanlon’s dominant scores to back Ringel played a huge part in the overall victory Hillsborough gained.

Hanlon’s years of dedication and training are evident in her performance. She redefines the stereotypes of athleticism, making male athletes aspire to be as talented as her.

“I could not have done it without the support from my coaches and amazing teammates,” Hanlon said.

This year’s seniors are Hanlon, Brielle Sidel, Cindy Liu, Renee Kinzler, and Emma Thompson. These five girls are comparable to America’s Olympic gymnastics team, the Final Five, in the sense that they are both incredible gymnasts, people, and friends.

In the sisterhood of Hillsborough gymnastics, the underclassmen always look up to the seniors as sources of motivation and inspiration. Each senior has been a part of Boro Gymnastics for all four years and are making sure they leave their mark on the program before their final season is over.