The Mt. Hope gymnastics team won its fifth state championship in six years at the Newport YMCA on Saturday. The Huskies posted a score of 132.6, edging out Barrington’s team score of 132.25 to win the Region I State Championship. Portsmouth placed third with a score of 129.95. The Huskies under head coach Nicole Daniello won the Division II State Championship in 2016, 2017, 2018 and won the Division I title in 2019. Due to the pandemic, the Rhode Island Interscholastic League decided to let the gymnasts compete regionally. 

“It was an amazing feeling to win this season,” said coach Daniello. “Especially after the year we’ve had.” The excitement of just having a season brought some normalcy to this unprecedented year with Covid.

“The girls truly work as a team. They support each other and show up to every practice and meet with an intense hunger to be the best,” coach Daniello said.

Juniors Nora Prendergast and Reese Pavao led the team in the victory.

“They are our top all-arounders,” said coach Daniello. “They have both had outstanding seasons. Both girls had to overcome injuries and being sick. To get it done over the shortened season was a true testament to their work ethic and persarverence.”

Prendergast placed second in the meet with an overall score of 33.6. The junior posted an 8.5 on vault, 8.4 on bars, 8.15 on beam, and an 8.55 on floor. Pavao placed third in the meet with an overall score of 33.45, with an 8.35 on vault, an 8.25 on bars, an 8.5 on beam and an 8.35 on floor.

Junior Brooke Ramella had an all-around score of 32.7, with an 8.6 on vault, a 7.2 on bars, an 8.45 on beam and an 8.45 on floor.

“Brooke had an amazing season,” coach Daniello said. “She improved on all the events, especially on vault and floor.”

“Maria Tucciarone, Caroline Nash, Avery Furtado and senior Marissa Grenier also improved tremendously and assisted with our win on Saturday,” coach Daniello said.

Tucciarone, a junior, posted an all-around score of 31.6, with an 8.3 on vault, a 7.5 on bars, an 8.15 on beam and a 7.65 on floor. Nash, a freshman, had an all-around score of 31.25, with an 8.55 on vault, 6.35 on bars, an 8.45 on beam and a 7.9 on floor. Furtado competed in two of the four events for an all-around score of 12.9. The freshman scored a 5.9 on bars and a 7.0 on beam.

Grenier, a senior, also competed in two of the four events with an all-around score if 16.7. She scored an 8.35 on vault and an 8.35 on floor.

“Marissa received her first 9.05 on floor in Sunday’s individual state competition,” said coach Daniello. “She added a more difficult tumbling pass and a more advanced jump to increase her score. It was the strongest routine I’ve seen her do in all of her four seasons. It was a great way to end her high school gymnastics career.” 

Coach Daniello heralded hard working Huskies in an email interview on Monday. “I’ve been very blessed to have coached such amazing gymnasts throughout the years,” she wrote. “The girls have the skills and determination to win, and their character puts them above all the rest.”