Brooks leads Baldwinsville gymnasts through regular-season slate

CENTRAL NEW YORK – Through the early portion of its schedule, the Baldwinsville girls gymanstics team managed two wins in its first four meets to stay at the .500 mark.

The Bees competed again last Thursday against Central Square, where Maddie Brooks led the way in a 119.8-109.9 victory over the Redhawks on Senior Night at Baker High School.

Brooks prevailed on the balance beam with an 8.6 routine, and also won on the uneven bars with 8.2 to go with a 7.8 on floor exercise.

Ava Wazen gained B’ville’s best all-around total of 30.15, scoring 8.25 on the floor, 7.7 on the vault and 6.8 on uneven bars, with Sydney McKenney scoring 28.4 all-around.

McKenney tied Central Square’s Sage Wolfe on the vault, each scoring 8.0, while Brittany Hackett helped B’ville’s cause with an 8.4 on the beam.

The Bees’ season had opened back on Sept. 11, where it lost 139.35-123.90 to New Hartford in a meet where Wazen earned 8.8 on the beam and 8.1 on the vault to match Hackett.

Lauren Millard’s 7.9 on the vault trailed McKenney’s 7.95, with McKenney adding 7.8 on uneven bars and Millard putting up 7.05 on uneven bars.

In a 133.5-118.0 defeat to Jamesville-DeWitt/Fayetteville-Manlius on Sept. 17, Brooks’ 8.4 on the beam was a close second to the 8.5 from Rachel McKean, with McKenney third on uneven bars with 8.4.

This was followed, on Sept. 24, by a three-team meet with Whitesboro, where it gained a split as it scored 127.85, ahead of the Black Knights’ 114.70, but behind the Warriors’ 134.55.

Brooks was victorious on uneven bars, her 9.2 edging the 9.1 from Whitesboro’s Payton Smith as Brooks added an 8.7 on the beam.

Right after the Central Square match, B’ville faced East Syracuse Minoa/Liverpool on Saturday, its last meet of the regular season, and again were close, but took a 129.03-128.05 defeat despite Brooks winning on two different apparatus.

Between her 9.3 on the beam and 9.1 on uneven bars, Brooks gained titles as Wazen tied ESM/Liverpool’s Katie DiMillo on the floor, each scoring 8.6 ahead of McKenney’s 8.5. Wazen added an 8.1 on the vault.