Thursday, February 1, 2007 Older Editions

AHS ROUNDUP: Gymnastics and indoor track results

By Rick Harrison

GIRLS GYMNASTICS

The Andover High girls gymnastics team chalked up two more victories at the Dunn Gym, toppling Merrimack Valley Conference rival Billerica, 139.60 to 133.60, and edging past non-league rival Acton-Boxboro by the slimmest of margins, 136.95 to 136.60.

Those results left the locals at 5-1 overall - including 4-1 in the MVC as runner-up to undefeated reigning state champ Chelmsford who handed AHS its only loss on Jan. 22.

Schedule

AHS is back in action tonight with an MVC dual away from home against Central Catholic (7 p.m.) at Aim High Gymnastics.

The MVC junior varsity meet is tomorrow night at Dracut Junior High (6 p.m.).

The varsity dual-meet season finale is set for next Thursday night (Feb. 8) at the Dunn Gym against Tewksbury (7 p.m.).

The MVC Championship Meet will also be held at Dracut on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m.

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Andover once again has an excellent shot at qualifying for the North Sectionals, scheduled for Friday, Feb. 23 at Beverly High (6 p.m.).

League champions and other specified teams with the highest average scores per dual meet will be invited.

The All-State Meet is Friday, March 2 at Shrewsbury High (6 p.m.), with qualifiers determined by top finishes at the Sectionals.

AHS has consistently qualified for the Sectionals and All-State meets over the past 20 years - participating in the former 16 times and the latter seven times while winning the state title in 2000.

Last year the Lady Warriors were 7th in the North Sectionals, and in 2005 they were 2nd in the North and 5th All-State.

Andover 139.60

Billerica 133.60

Jenn Quirnbach placed first in two events and won the all-around to spark the Lady Warriors to victory at the Dunn Gym.

Kristen Coneeny and Becky Robichaud also placed first in one event each as the consistent locals scored 139-plus for the third straight meet (Methuen, Chelmsford).

Quirnbach's strong rookie season continued as she chalked up a 35.55 all-around score, placing first on both balance beam with a solid 9.1 and the uneven bars at 9.0.

She added an 8.3 to tie for third in vault and registered a 9.15 for third in floor exercise.

Coneeny was tops in vault with a 9.0 and Robichaud had the highest individual score of the meet with a 9.3 in floor.

Andover 136.95

Acton-Boxboro 136.60

Solid performances by Jenn Quirnbach and Carly Verrette sparked the locals to the wafer-thin win over Acton-Boxboro.

AHS, in good shape for a North Sectional berth with dual-meet scores consistently in the 136 to 139 range, received a double event win from Quirnbach with an 8.8 on the uneven bars and 9.1 in floor exercise.

Verrette shared first in floor with a 9.1 and she contributed a third in vault at 8.3.

Becky Robichaud scored 9.15 on balance beam and Kristen Coneeny matched it with a 9.15 for the win in vaulting.

Quirnbach was second in the all-around with a 34.70.

BOYS GYMNASTICS

Strong performances by junior all-around Aaron Davidovits and a hobbled Andy O'Connell were not enough, as the Andover High boys finished third in an Eastern Mass. League tri-meet against visiting Attleboro High and Lowell High at the Dunn Gym.

Attleboro swept the meet with a 149.90, while Lowell scored 140.60 and Andover 138.00.

The same was true in a non-league inter-state dual meet at Salem, N.H. on Tuesday night, with Davidovits and O'Connell stellar in a 151.60 to 144.70 setback to the undefeated Blue Devils.

The triple dip left the Golden Warriors at 1-5 overall, while Attleboro improved to 3-2 and Lowell is now 1-3. Salem is now 4-0.

"We had hoped to win a few more meets," said AHS assistant coach Jack Gleason, "but the injury to Andy (O'Connell) and a flu virus that has gone through the team have hurt us the past two weeks after a promising start."

Schedule

The final dual meet is next Monday night at Revere High (7 p.m.).

The Coaches Individual League Meet is slated for Monday, Feb. 12 at Lowell High (7 p.m.), and the season-ending State Team Meet is Thursday, Feb. 15 at Burlington High. (7 p.m.).

Attleboro 149.90

Lowell 140.60

Andover 138.00

Aaron Davidovits finished third in the all-around competition with a 37.20.

Andy O'Connell, the AA winner in two meets earlier this season with 50-plus points, was restricted to two events in this meet because of a recent bout with the stomach flu and the flare-up of a recurring back problem.

Davidovits highlighted his six-event performance with a 7.2 in floor exercise, 6.3 for second place on parallel bars, 5.5 on pommel horse, 5.4 on rings and 5.0 on high bar.

Andy O'Connell had the top score in vault with a 9.1 and he also posted an 8.4 on pommel horse.

Freshman twins Adam and Mark Vetere chalked up a 5.4 and 5.3 respectively on pommel horse.

Mark Vetere added a pair of 5.2 marks on high bar and rings, while Adam also had a solid 8.2 in vault.

Senior Rob Tornatore recorded a 7.6 in vault and a 4.8 on rings.

All-around champ in the meet was Lowell sophomore Zach Aguiar with a 48.70 that included a 9.0 in vault, 8.5 on pommel horse, 8.4 on rings, floor exercise and parallel bars and 6.0 on high bar.

Salem, N.H. 151.60

Andover 144.70

In a near carbon-copy of the previous meet, Andy O'Connell once again placed first on pommel horse (9.2) and in vault (8.9), while Aaron Davidovits posted a 37.60 all-around score for third place.

Davidovits tied for third in floor exercise with a personal-best 7.5, he was second on rings (5.8) and also finished third on parallel bars (5.8) and high bar (5.1).

Adam Vetere tied for third in floor with a personal-best 7.5 and took third in vault (8.2), while Mark Vetere was third on pommel horse (5.7) and rings (5.6).

INDOOR TRACK

Despite several strong individual performances, the Andover High girls and boys indoor track teams closed out their dual-meet seasons with close losses to visiting Tewksbury on Tuesday afternoon at the Collins Field House oval.

The Lady Warriors gave undefeated Merrimack Valley Conference Division 2 champion TMHS a scare before dropping a 46-40 decision.

The AHS boys came even closer in a 44-42 setback to crossover rivals the Redmen.

Those results left the girls at 4-2 overall, including 3-1 in MVC Division 1 where they finished runner-up to unbeaten Central Catholic.

The boys were 1-6 with four of the losses by 10 points or less.

Schedule

This weekend the two-day State Coaches Invitational Meet and Elite Meet are scheduled at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury (9:30 a.m.).

The Merrimack Valley Conference Championship Meet is also on tap Monday, Feb. 12 at the Lewis Center (4 p.m.).

Tewksbury 46

Andover girls 40

The locals were intent on spoiling Tewksbury's perfect dual-meet season and they almost pulled it off.

AHS placed first in four of the 10 events with sophomore sprinter Christina Muccio (50 dash, 6.4), Rachel Fox (600 run, 1:30.9) and Colleen Shannon (1000 run, 2:49.5) all remaining undefeated in their specialties in MVC dual meets.

Fox and Shannon also joined Kayley Pettoruto and sophomore anchor Melissa Knapp on the victorious 4x400 relay team (4:25.5).

Pettoruto and Knapp chalked up individual thirds, the former in the 600 run (1:37.4) and the latter the 300 dash (40.3).

Finishing second for the Lady Warriors were hurdler Jess Forster (7.8), sprinter Bizzy DiTroia (50 dash, 6.6), Christina Conley (1000 run, 2:58.8), miler Casey Harrison (5:45.5), freshman two-miler Molly Van Doren (12:23.3) who chopped 20 seconds off her previous personal best time and shot putter Rachel Licciardi (28'5").

The pivotal event was the high jump where TMHS swept the top three places and outscored Andover, 9-0, led by Kristen Judge's school-record 5'4" leap.

Tewksbury 44

Andover boys 42

Both teams placed first in five events, but 1-2 finishes in the 50 hurdles and 1000 helped push the Redmen (4-3-1) over the top to the win.

Individual victors for the Golden Warriors were undefeated freshman speedster Chris McConnell in the 50 dash (5.6), Mike Murray the 300 dash (36.0), miler Frank Perrone (4:47.6) and two-miler Peter Shaw (10:10.8) by a wide margin.

AHS also captured the final 4x400 relay with Murray, Shawn McDermott, Rob Martin and Dan Greeley (3:52.1).

Placing second for the locals were McDermott (300 dash, 36.1), Martin (600 run, 1:22.1), high jumper John Bigelow (5'5") and shot putter Greg Moore (41'10 1/2").

Rounding out the scorers in third were hurdler Randy Labrecque (7.1), Kevin Roselle (600 run, 1:23.8), Peter Roman (1000 run, 2:40.2), two-miler Nick Shoemaker (10:54.5) and shot putter J.B. Israel (41' 1/2").