Veteran gymnasts brought drive, recruits to Old Town squad

To adequately summarize the State Class B Championship season of the Old Town High School gymnastics team, one has to look past the obvious.

Good athletes and good coaching can create that special season, but there is more here than meets the eye.

Combining good athletes with a good coach would not have been possible were it not for the simple love of the sport.

Old Town won a state title because there were gymnasts who believed in themselves, and because there were adults who believed in them.

The veterans believed if they each improved, and if they could recruit others, they could be winners.

Mike Norklun, assistant excutive director of the Old Town-Orono YMCA and gymnastics coach at Old Town, believed as did University of Maine senior Kirsten Sweet. They had such faith, they volunteered to coach the team.

“We only had three kids returning,” Norklun said. “They knew, if they had even two more of their calibre, they would be competitive. They talked up the sport and got a team of eight.”

Along the way, Old Town surprised a few people. Some are still surprised, since Old Town lost twice during the regular season to four-time defending state champ Belfast.

“I think what these kids were capable of was not quite apparent,” Norklun said. “Both times we lost to Belfast in its gym. The kids always felt they were competitive on a neutral floor. And they kept improving. Our first meet, we had 110 points. Going into the states we were 134.5. We went steadily up and hit our stride two weeks before the states.”

Overcoming personal, and personnel, obstacles were not all the team had to contend with. With no home floor, the Indians hosted just one meet.

The returnee-recruiters are senior Shannon Gallant and juniors Janna Youngs and Teri Theriault.

Gallant’s contribution was her consistency, improving each time out. “She worked hard last year and was good all-around and was just simply dependable,” Norklun said. “As a senior, she was motivated toward the team idea. She wanted to work for the team, so she recruited for it.”

Last year, Theriault was primarily a vaulter; all-around was not a strength, so that’s where she developed the most to help the team score. “She improved so we could make five scores in every event,” Norklun said, “and she improved in floor and beam.”

Youngs wasn’t going to compete in bars but, because the score was needed, added that to her repetoire and had the best practice attendance record of any competitor.

Senior Melinda Parent “came in as a former gymnast and with a good history,” Norklun said. “She worked hard to get back into shape and really showed her poise in competition.”

Of the seniors, Norklun said Parent was the outgoing leader and team motivator, and Gallant the quiet team-spirit leader. “Melinda tried to get them all to do their best,” he said, “and even developed a bar routine just to help the score.”

Sophomore Becky Blue “is just an unbelievable athlete,” Norklun said. “She’s done very well and improved all year long; from the low 20’s to the 30’s all-around. I hope she’s back next year.”

Freshman Joanna Cronkite was a surprise.”She had always done compulsories and now had to do optionals,” Norklun said. “She had to learn some new things at the same time she was going through a 3-to-4-inch growth spurt. She did very well on bars, which is one of the toughest events for taller girls.”

In addition to the six who competed in the states, the team included senior Leslie Deorsey and freshman Shana Dionne, who worked out all year and contributed as spirit leaders.

The coach admitted going into the season with high expectations that he questioned occasionally. But going into a state meet “is so subjective,” he said. “For us, it wasn’t a nervous meet because the girls weren’t concerned about winning or having to live up to their seed.”

The thought was, everyone is here, and we’re just going to do well.”

Celebration of this championship came in a round-about fashion, and one that Norklun candidly admits might not have occured were it not for another contributing factor.

“The day we won the states,” he said, “the hockey team also won the states. We met them in the parking lot and joined a motorcade through town. It was great for the kids.”

…Going into a state meet “is so subjective. For us, it wasn’t a nervous meet because the girls weren’t concerned about winning or having to live up to their seed”

– Mike Norklun