Cougar gymnasts ready for big year

MHS has depth, experience to win

By: Bob Nuse
   Last year was the best season yet for the Montgomery High gymnastics team during Johanna Snedeker’s tenure as head coach.
   This year, the Cougars are hoping for an even better season. And even though the team has started a little slower than Snedeker would have liked, she’s feeling like this could be a real special season.
   "Last year we had a very good year," said Snedeker, whose team split a tri-meet on Tuesday, beating Shawnee and falling to Hunterdon Central. "This year I expected to come in a little bit stronger. We started a little bit slow, but we seem to do that every year. We have Hillsborough (scheduled for Thursday) and I think that is a meet where we could score well. The girls know the equipment well there and they’re comfortable there."
   Junior Erin Simon returns as the top gymnast for the Cougars. Veteran seniors Hilary Copeland and Vicki Koppa are also back as big scorers from last year, along with junior Bridget O’Brien and sophomore Ashley Williams. A pair of freshmen, Laura Ng and Emily Wang, have also looked good in the early part of the season. The rest of the Montgomery roster includes seniors Catherine Cook and Ashley Karsay, junior Elizabeth Snedeker, sophomores Devon O’Connor and Shannon McHenry, and freshmen Tali Ramo and Rachel Hoff.
   "Erin came back strong and healthy, so hopefully this will be another good year for her," Snedeker said. "Our top seven all score in about the same range, which is nice. Erin has had some good meets and so has Laura Ng, one of our freshmen. The others are all in the mid-8 range, which is a nice score. This is the first time since I have been coach that we had a team with so much depth."
   In addition to their own performance, the Cougars are also excited about getting the opportunity to host two of the biggest meets of the season. Montgomery will be the host site for the Somerset County meet on Oct. 7, as well as the Skyland Conference meet on Oct. 28.
   "We’re very excited about getting to be the host school," Snedeker said. "I understand Montgomery hosted the Somerset meet about 20 years ago, but we haven’t had anything like this since. I don’t know if it has totally sunk in yet for the girls. But it’s a great opportunity for us to be able to do something like this. We have parents who will be helping out and they should be great events."
   And this current Montgomery team is also one that should contend for some titles at the big meets as well. They’re still a little ways off, but things are looking up for the gymnastics program. Also new this year for the Cougars is the addition of an assistant coach, as Larane Jaquith joins the program this year.
   "She’s a former USGA gymnasts and she’s been a great addition for us," Snedeker said. "I think we complement each other very well. It’s nice to have a second coach there to help with the girls."