rebel gym 2/5  gn peRebel Girls Gymnastics Team Springs to VictoriesBy Carolyn SchultzAfter suffering their first loss of the season to Long Beach, without the benefit of their highest scoring gymnast, who was sick, the Rebel girls gymnastics team came back to win against Cold Spring Harbor and Great Neck North. The team worked hard to achieve some of its highest scores ever, including highest team total score. The Rebels may have one of the best team averages in Nassau County, and are in second place in Conference II with a 6-1 record.The Rebels defeated Cold Spring Harbor on Jan. 27 with a score of 130 over Cold Spring Harbor's 103. The Rebels attained team total scores of 33.6 on vault, 28.0 on uneven bars, 32.2 on balance beam, and 36.2 on floor exercise. Individually, the Rebel's highest scores for each event was sophomore Beth Wecksell's 7.6 on vault and 7.1 on beam, freshman Sarah Cardell's 6.4 on bars, and sophomore Tracy Gertler's 7.7 on floor. Wecksell won the individual all-around with 28.3.Coach John Emmerich commented, "We got a win, and we're always happy with a win. We all feelÉwe did well, we always talk about how we can do better and work harder for the next meet."A lot of the girls are really learning a lot of difficult moves, especially on barsÉ" John Emmerich continued. "They all realize that they have to work together as a teamÉWhen we want to win really big meets, [the team] has to pull together."At the North-South meet, held this year at South, the Rebels won with their highest team total score ever, 139.4 over the Blazers' 120.9. The Rebels won all four events, with 34.8 over the Blazers' 30.3 on vault, 30.6 over the Blazers' 23.3 on bars, 36.2 over the Blazers' 33.9 on beam, and 37.8 over the Blazers' 33.4 on floor. The gymnasts from both Great Neck teams demonstrated great skill in their individual routines. Of the Rebels, Gertler won the individual all-around with 29.4, Wecksell won the vault with 7.7 and the floor with 8.0, and Cardell won the bars with 7.3. Junior Sarah Aviram of the Blazers won the beam with 8.0.South High Principal Randolph Ross was at the North-South meet to cheer the Rebels on. "I am excited that South won," he said. "They enjoy each other's company and work well together. They root for each other, and it is an exciting team to watch."South Girls Athletic Director Doris McMahon was also pleased with the Rebels' performance. She said, "They did a very nice, outstanding job. They had an outstanding season. The coaches and the team worked very hard and well together to meet with the success they achieved."The Rebel's captain, senior Karen Siegel commented, "Our team score [of 139.4] says it all. We did very well, and we're very happyÉWe are concentrating on individual scores, supporting and helping each other reach those goals."Indeed, several of the Rebels achieved their highest individual scores of the season at this meet, including freshman Julissa Vallenas on vault, Gertler and Cardell on bars, Gertler on beam, and Cardell on floor.Gertler said, "Everybody has learned to be a team, as well as improving tremendously."John Emmerich was surprised that "the concentration and intensity were really high." He was pleased that the team "kept working hard" after the difficult meet against Long Beach.According to Debbie Emmerich, the Rebels' other coach, "this is a bigger improvement from our other meets."Since there are fewer teams in Conference II than Conference I, the Rebels' scores in the North-South meet and their last meet against Port Washington will count twice so that the Conference II teams will be scored equally in determining qualifications for the team and individual counties.The Rebels hope to do even better at their last meet of the season, against Port Washington. John Emmerich said, "I hope the girls can score a 140 (team total) for the last meet. We will be really focused and try very hardÉ"