Glastonbury’s goal of winning consecutive State Open titles came to an end last Saturday at New Milford High School. The Tomahawks finished second behind champion Woodstock Academy by just 1.45 points. Glastonbury scored 143.625 as a team, while Woodstock Academy set a meet record in scoring 145.075 points.

Even as her squad fell short, Amanda Scanlon again triumphed. Scanlon added the State Open all-around title to the Class LL title she had won a week earlier. The junior earned an overall score of 37.875 to best rival Chelsea Levander of Wilton. Scanlon was excellent in each event. She tied for first in the vault with junior teammate Lauren McCormick with a score of 9.475, was runner-up in the uneven parallel bars and balance beam and tied for fourth in the floor exercises.

“I’ve been working very hard in practice for this,” Scanlon said. “I was prepared going in and my teammates really helped me with their support. It feels so great to reach an accomplishment I’ve been working so hard for.”

The biggest factor in Scanlon’s victory was her outstanding performance on the bars. Scanlon came into the event with some concerns after only earning a score of 8.30 on the bars in the class meet. By earning a 9.525 and second place in her first event of the day, Scanlon had the upmost confidence going forward.

Scanlon had a stellar performance,” Glastonbury head coach Leslie McInerney said. “She stepped up and performed great in ever event. The great thing is that she still has some room for improvement, especially in the balance beam. I expect her to be better at the New England Championships this weekend.”

With Scanlon’s great performance and the talent of her teammates, it is easy to understand why McInerney and company believed they had a realistic shot at capturing the team title. However, Woodstock Academy ultimately possessed more depth. They placed three gymnasts in the top 10 and four in the top 13. In comparison, Glastonbury had only two gymnasts outside of Scanlon it could rely on to obtain a significant amount of points.

McCormick was Glastonbury’s second standout performer. She had three top-10 finishes and tied with Scanlon for first place in the vault. McCormick was sixth in the all-around with a score of 36.550. Sophomore Melanie Sabia also had a solid afternoon. She was tied for 11th overall at 36.550. Sabia placed eighth on the balance beam and 11th on the uneven bars.

“I’m very happy we got second place,” said McInerney. “I knew coming in that Woodstock Academy would outscore us if they hit their routines. They were able to finish in first because they had their way with everyone on the floor exercises.”

“It was tough for the girls to finish in second. They didn’t even know we were behind until they saw it up on the scoreboard. That being said, we still had a strong day and held second place easily.”

Glastonbury will travel to Norwich Free Academy this weekend to compete in the New England Championships. Glastonbury is the defending New England champion, and Scanlon, the defending all-around New England champion, is hoping to defend her crown.

“If I perform like I did this weekend and improve a little bit on the beams, I think I could win the all-around,” she said. “I’m pretty confident right now.”

Wrestling

Glastonbury placed seventh in the Class LL tournament, held Feb. 17-18 at Trumbull High. The CCC North champions earned 91 points.

Seniors Tyler and Cody Keane performed superbly at the tournament. Tyler Keane was the champion at 120 pounds. He defeated runner-up Zach Tepper 22-7. Cody Keane was the runner-up at 126. He was pinned by Giovanni Medina of New Britain.

Junior Daniel Hecker placed fourth at 138 and sophomore Andrew Cavanna finished fifth in the 220-pound competition for Glastonbury.

“We didn’t wrestle as well as we could have at the LL tournament,” said Glastonbury head coach Rob Levesque. “Tyler did what he was supposed to do and Cody was great in his matches. But our other guys just didn’t show up. I think I had my fewest wrestlers ever move on the second day.”

Glastonbury surprised with its performance at the State Open, held at the Floyd Little Athletic Center February 24th and 25th. The Tomahawks finished fifth with 70 points.

Tyler and Cody Keane capped off a career in which they became the winningest pair of brothers in state history with exceptional performances. Tyler was again a champion at 120 pounds as he defeated William Crisco of Daniel Hand 3-1. Cody was the runner-up at 126. He was pinned by Giovanni Medina for the second straight week.

Daniel Hecker was a pleasant surprise for the Tomahawks. He had an excellent Open and eventually placed fourth at 138. Hecker lost to Ian Curtis of New Milford in the third place match 6-1.

“We stepped up at the State Open and finished ahead of some very talented teams,” said Levesque. “Most of the schools in the top 10 had seven or eight kids with them and we only brought four. We wrestled above our seeding.”

The Keane brothers are a once in a lifetime pair, and Levesque knows their absence will be a challenge heading into next season. But he believes his team will be strong next year because of the legacy the Keane’s have left.

“The brothers and their family were completely dedicated to the program from the minute they joined,” he stated. “Everyone on the team saw their hard work and was driven to work harder themselves. The work and effort they put in to reach their goals has rubbed off on the rest of the team. That’s why we can still be as good of a team next year without them.”