Over the weekend, the LHSAA Gymnastics State Championship was held at Baton Rouge Magnet High School. Local New Orleans gymnasts representing Mount Carmel Academy made school history by securing the Level 8 state title. Level 8 is the highest level of competition at the state gymnastics meet each year. Haynes Academy of Metairie secured 2nd place at the meet, with Dutchtown High School coming in 3rd.
Mount Carmel Cubs Secure State Gymnastics Title and Make History!
A group of local gymnasts are making waves and history, leading Mount Carmel to the 2023 state gymnastics title for Level 8. Led by Coach Melissa Gayé, this is the very first
state championship in Mount Carmel gymnastics history! The athletes who represented MCA as Level 8 gymnasts are Jourdyn Dwyer, Arianna Puglis (5th place overall individually), Jeanne Marie Savoie, Meghan Mocklin (6th place overall individually), Nola Simoneaux, and Emily Chaplain.
What is most impressive about this achievement is that just two short years ago the Mount Carmel gymnastics program only had two total gymnasts. 24 total teams competed this weekend in Baton Rouge at the LHSAA state gymnastics meet, with Mount Carmel having one of the three largest teams at the competition.
The Mount Carmel gymnastics team practices at Elmwood Gymnastics Academy. Of the school’s 20 high school gymnasts, a few are competitive cheerleaders, while a handful are year-round club gymnasts with experience competing all over the country. In fact, six of the top ten finishers at the state meet for Level 8 train and compete on behalf of Elmwood Gymnastics Academy year-round. Congratulations to local senior Lauren Babineaux who won the individual state title (and also scored a perfect 10 on bars on behalf of Dominican), as well as local New Orleans area gymnasts Emily Voss (4th), Arianna Puglis (5th), Meghan Mocklin (6th), Sarah Smith (8th) and Emily Ingraham (10th).
According to the Mount Carmel website, other gymnasts also deserve credit for the team’s overall performance this season. While the Level 8 team winning state is an incredible accomplishment,“No doubt it was a team effort, with the Level 3 and Level 4 gymnasts putting in the work and finishing strong. Mikalah Velasquez hit a 9.525 vault, and Mary Cate Zamora scored a 9.425 on her floor routine. Hazel Patterson took to the vault scoring a 9.475. Grace Wallace’s impressive vault landed her a 9.275, and Natalie Doiron scored a 9.375 on her vault. Stella Fontenot’s vault proved successful at a 9.225.”
