Bronco gymnasts ready to challenge powerful Belfast

The ascent has been a gradual one for the Hampden Academy gymnastics team, but in its fifth season under head coach Jerry Young, the Broncos have become one of the premier programs in the state.

The Broncos are currently ranked second in Eastern Maine, five points behind traditional power Belfast.

Hampden, 11-1 going into a Wednesday meet, suffered its lone loss against Belfast early in the season, but avenged that setback with a victory over the Lions two weeks ago.

The win at Belfast and Hampden’s third-place finish in last season’s state team championships have many members of the team thinking about winning a state championship.

“I think we have a good chance,” said Kelley Webb. “As long as we all do our best, we should at least improve on last season.”

Hampden’s transformation from a small club team to a top contender for the state championship is due in large part to a supportive school administration and good athletes, according to Young.

“We’ve received tremendous support from the administration,” said Jerry Young. “We’ve got the greatest equipment in the region, and we get our fair share of practice time.”

Young and his wife Beverly came to Hampden from Dexter High School five years ago. It’s a move neither one of them has regretted.

“I’m quite glad I came here,” Jerry Young said. “The kids are great and the support is great. It’s an ideal situation to be in.”

Four girls in particular on the Hampden squad have played a big part in Hampden’s successful season. That quartet comprises sophomores Amanda Prouty and Erin Hussey, junior Darby Goss and senior Kelley Webb.

Goss has already qualified for the state individual gymnastics meet in all four individual events – vaulting, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise. Prouty has qualified to compete in the vault and balance beam.

Webb is close to qualifying in the vault as well as floor exercise.

“The beam and floor exercises are a team strength,” said Beverly Young, who has had many coaches compliment her and her husband on the team’s floor exercise routines.

Hampden has one of its largest teams this season since the Youngs’ arrival. Fourteen girls and one boy are competing on the varsity squad.

“We’ve had three strong teams the last three years, but this team has more depth,” said Jerry Young.

Jerry Young added that the big team improvement this year over last year has been an increase in the lower scores.

The team is still getting high scores from its top athletes, but it has also seen vast improvement from its lower-scoring athletes as well.

The Broncos have a good mix of youth and experience. The team roster has three freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and four seniors.

Seniors Jennifer Dowd and Elizabeth Jackson, as team co-captains, are expected to help lead the team by example as well as help out the younger kids. But everyone on the team helps out in some way, according to the coaches and gymnasts.

“We’re sort of all one big family,” said Erin Hussey. “The Youngs don’t have any kids, so we’re sort of like their family.”

In that case, one could say that the family that competes together succeeds together.

At least, that’s what this “family” at Hampden Academy is saying.