Gymnastics beat: Licata gives SJB narrow win

GYMNASTICSSJB's Licata tips balance

This was a slim margin on gymnastics' very own slim margin.

St. John the Baptist defeated St. Francis Prep by a microscopic .40 points, 158.75-158.35, on the strength of Kristen Licata's beam routine last week. Licata won the beam with a score of 9.6. St. Francis Prep faced the beam as its last event and got close, but Licata's big number gave the Cougars the tiny advantage. Nicole Sideris won the all-around with a score of 34.8 for St. Francis Prep.

Another Whitman

milestone

The top spots in Suffolk gymnastics are usually occupied by the same troupe of fiercely talented and stubbornly competitive teams. But after breaking through League III two years ago and fighting its way out of League II last year, Whitman doesn't have much interest in the status quo.

Whitman broke another barrier last week after posting a school-record 161 points in its win over Half Hollow Hills, coach Paulette Holtmann said. Led by Victorianna Casella, Paige Restivo, Christine Yasinski and Jade Darrow, the Wildcats may cobble together one of the best years in team history, Holtmann said - this, in the confines of uber-competitive League I.

"I have five girls that compete in the all-around. I've never had that before," Holtmann said. "We have strong depth. They've learned their elements from club gym, but most of them have been on my team since seventh grade."

The investment is providing dividends, as shown in last week's meet with Half Hollow Hills. Whitman won, 161-158.525, behind Restivo's 33.60 all-around, but the squads were shoulder to shoulder up until the final event: floor.

"My girls were just a little bit stronger," Holtmann said. "The girls were ecstatic."