Gymnastics: WPIAL Preview
Moon Area found a way last season to unseat three-time champion North Allegheny last season at the WPIAL team championships. Moon edged the Tigers 146.675 to 144.8 in the finals last February.
North Allegheny will have a hard time reclaiming the trophy with the graduation loss of five seniors, Tori Bianco, Tiara Chadran, Brianna Gabriel, Kiersten Hauser and Abbie Porritt.
Moon is the favorite to make it back-to-back team titles with juniors Holly Zucchero and Megan Tamilia returning along with senior Kara DiNofrio, all advanced division competitors. Zucchero and Tamilia placed fourth and ninth respectively at the WPIAL championships while DiNofrio was not far behind in 12th.
The Tigers biggest asset may be their depth, they return juniors Jessica Schreiber and Sunny Smolarek who finished 1-2 in the all-around in the Intermediate I division. Sophomore Emily Mattioli won the balance beam title in the Intermediate II competition at WPIALs last season while junior Krista Kennedy won the uneven parallel bars in the same competition. The Tigers lose only two seniors from last year and are adding eight girls from the middle school team.
Individually all eyes will be on Hopewell senior Kelly Burak. While North Allegheny failed last season in its bid for four consecutive titles, Burak has a chance this year to be WPIAL all-around champion for a fourth consecutive year.
Pine-Richland senior Nicole Chleboski is another top gymnast. She finished third in the all-around competition at WPIALs last season and she may be able to challenge Burak for the all-around title this year.
Chleboski is well-rounded. She finished in third in the uneven bars and took fifth in the other three events, vault, balance beam and floor exercise. With North Allegheny’s Bianco graduating, Chleboski is likely the biggest threat to challenge Burak for the individual all-around title.
Baldwin is an up and coming program with sophomores Josie Karabinos and Cassie Fischer back in the fold this season. Karabinos won the all-around title in the Intermediate I division while Fischer won the Intermediate II title. Karabinos specializes in the floor exercise while Fischer is strong on the balance beam and floor exercise.
North Allegheny will have a hard time reclaiming the trophy with the graduation loss of five seniors, Tori Bianco, Tiara Chadran, Brianna Gabriel, Kiersten Hauser and Abbie Porritt.
Moon is the favorite to make it back-to-back team titles with juniors Holly Zucchero and Megan Tamilia returning along with senior Kara DiNofrio, all advanced division competitors. Zucchero and Tamilia placed fourth and ninth respectively at the WPIAL championships while DiNofrio was not far behind in 12th.
The Tigers biggest asset may be their depth, they return juniors Jessica Schreiber and Sunny Smolarek who finished 1-2 in the all-around in the Intermediate I division. Sophomore Emily Mattioli won the balance beam title in the Intermediate II competition at WPIALs last season while junior Krista Kennedy won the uneven parallel bars in the same competition. The Tigers lose only two seniors from last year and are adding eight girls from the middle school team.
Individually all eyes will be on Hopewell senior Kelly Burak. While North Allegheny failed last season in its bid for four consecutive titles, Burak has a chance this year to be WPIAL all-around champion for a fourth consecutive year.
Pine-Richland senior Nicole Chleboski is another top gymnast. She finished third in the all-around competition at WPIALs last season and she may be able to challenge Burak for the all-around title this year.
Chleboski is well-rounded. She finished in third in the uneven bars and took fifth in the other three events, vault, balance beam and floor exercise. With North Allegheny’s Bianco graduating, Chleboski is likely the biggest threat to challenge Burak for the individual all-around title.
Baldwin is an up and coming program with sophomores Josie Karabinos and Cassie Fischer back in the fold this season. Karabinos won the all-around title in the Intermediate I division while Fischer won the Intermediate II title. Karabinos specializes in the floor exercise while Fischer is strong on the balance beam and floor exercise.
gymnastics