Continuing the streak of state accomplishments this school year, girls gymnastics formed new records and experienced never-before-seen success. Angela Stangarone, senior, stands in the middle of this spotlight, winning second place on vault and fifth place on floor. Stangarone was the first York gymnast in 40 years to earn medals in the state final. Starting at only six years old, Stangarone has grown to be an extremely competitive and prosperous gymnast.
Going into the state series the team was riding high, having recently been conference champions, and were confident to continue their winning streak. And they did. [The team] won regionals and sent two girls to the state competition from sectionals. Stangerone competed in five events at state and made finals for two. She scored 9.7 on vault, a near perfect score, and 9.375 on floor.
“I did the best vault of my life. I stuck the landing, I pointed my toes, which I’d struggled with all season, and my coach was about to cry. It was an amazing moment,” Stangarone said. “And then I went out and gave floor my everything. I just went out and had fun at that point.”
However, it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows for Stangarone. Throughout the season she had to dedicate hours to training and perfecting her skills. She came to somewhat of a roadblock when deciding what moves she would hone in on this season for competition.
“I had to make a choice: do I want to go big or do I stay with my current skills, stay clean and work those,” Stangarone said. “I chose the second option and it worked out really well.”
Stangarone perfected difficult skills and it definitely helped her succeed. To ensure her growth didn’t remain stagnant, Stangerone worked to continue developing the skills she was already confident in, as well as switch up daily routines. Everyday she could go in the gym and choose which event she felt she needed to work on most, something club gymnastics didn’t offer her in the past.
“It was really fun to keep exploring this year because that was one of my biggest challenges in gymnastics,” Stangarone said. “I would always get so unmotivated and bored with [gymnastics] doing the same skills and routine everyday. York kept it fun, kept it fresh.”
Stangarone’s switch from club to high school gymnastics wasn’t easy. She had to adapt to a significant change in mindset, which allowed her to be a more well-rounded gymnast. That being said, Stangerone was not alone in this adjustment. Her family, coaches, and teammates supported and encouraged her through the entire process.
“[My parents and sister] were always my biggest supporters while in club, and when I switched they were completely supportive of that, even though I was unsure if I would regret it or not,” Stangerone said. “When the season started my biggest supporters were my team, especially the people I knew from years and years ago doing gymnastics together. It was a full circle moment.”
As her older sister, Anna Stangarone has witnessed the countless hours Angela has put into gymnastics over the years. Anna admires the commitment shown by her sister and is proud of the success she’s found after all that she’s done.
“I admire her most for her dedication. She’s an incredibly hard worker, not only does she do gymnastics, but she still keeps up with her hobbies and has a job,” Anna Stangarone said. “She’s got an amazing attitude and is always a positive person to be around.”
Over the twelve years of her gymnastics career, Stangerone has made countless improvements and continues to do so. Without this wholehearted devotion, she wouldn’t be standing so tall today.
“I’ve seen all her progress and how truly incredible and impressive she is,” Anna Stangarone said. “She has given up countless opportunities so that she could continue to be dedicated to gymnastics.”
With help from her coaches and team, Stangerone experienced much improvement and advancement this past season. She looks forward to competing at Senior Nationals in Florida this May, knowing she has a family, team and school behind her in support. Hopefully Stangerone will be able to carry her prosperity at state with her as she furthers her gymnastics career.
“I was so happy because of my personal growth this season. We were against some of the top teams in the state, so to be up there with them was an amazing experience,” Stangerone said. “They were all so nice and it was very fun to be around those gymnasts and do my best.”