Cougars return talented gymnasts
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
Johanna Snedeker has been through this before.
The Montgomery High gymnastics coach has another talented team this year. But as in years past, the Cougars have not gotten off to the kind of start she had hoped for.
Still, the veteran MHS coach knows it’s just a matter of time before the team lives up to its potential.
”This looks like it will be a chronic pattern with us,” said Snedeker, whose team is 2-1 after a 103.425-103.265 win over Cherokee on Tuesday. “I know the girls have a lot more in them. We scored a 105 (in the opening tri-meet) and that was without Erin (Simon) doing the vault. We had a couple tough falls on the beam and vault, so I know we can do better. I think we’ll improve over the course of the season. We seem to hit our stride the last three meets. Hopefully this year we can get it together sooner.”
As has been the case in each of the last three years, the Cougars will be led by Simon, who is now a senior. In the win over Cherokee, Simon was first on vault with a 9.35, second on bars, third on floor and finished second all-around.
Montgomery’s No. 2 gymnast this year looks like it will be freshman Jackie Violette, who was first on floor and second on vault in the meet on Tuesday. The combo of Simon and Violette give the Cougars a good starting point this season.
”Jackie Violette is an up-and-comer,” Snedeker said. “She’s a strong gymnast with a lot of power. The last time we had a team this good was when Erin was a freshman and her sister, Kelly, was a senior. So that was a freshman-senior combo that year as well.”
Other seniors on the team are Bridget O’Brien, Elizabeth Snedeker and Katherine Nieves. Sophomores Laura Ng and Emily Wang are back after impressive freshmen seasons. The roster also includes three freshmen that will be key members of the team: Violette, Yelean Choy and Maria Douglas.
”Our goals are always to make the states,” said Snedeker, whose team will be at Piscataway today. “We’ve been close a few times recently but it hasn’t happened. I’d like for us to have more than one girl make it to the states. We’ve had Erin there the last three years, but I also think Jackie has a chance to make it. So that’s a goal for us. Making sectionals as a team is another goal.
”Our routines are technically accurate in terms of the rules. Now we have to make them fun. One of my goals this year is to make it fun for the girls.”
Montgomery opened the season with a tri-meet against Hillsborough and Bridgewater. The Cougars score of 105.15 was good enough for a win against Bridgewater, but fell short against Hillsborough.
In the opening meet, Violette had the top score of the day on beam with a 9.075. She also finished with the third best all-around score.