View Photo Gallery
For fans and participants of girls’ gymnastics, Hanover High was the place to be last Saturday as the Hawks hosted competition to determine Capital and Colonial District championships as well as the Central Region title. Eight participating schools included Atlee, Deep Run, Douglas Freeman, Mills Godwin, Hanover, Henrico, Lee-Davis and Patrick Henry.

  The day began with an injury during warm-ups that delayed the scheduled 10:30 a.m. start by some 45 minutes. While performing a back handspring on the balance beam, Atlee senior Caitlin Donahue suffered a severely dislocated right knee when she landed back first on the mat. Her parents, coaches and judges quickly surrounded the distressed all-around competitor.

  Overcome by pain and unfortunately familiar with the process due to previous left knee problems, Donahue insisted that her twisted leg be straightened. Beam judge Tiffany Kirkham, also a physician’s assistant, obliged her request.

  “They were going to transport me without doing it, but I told them no way,” Donahue said. “I was in extreme pain, and I just told Tiffany to straighten it. It felt so much better after she did.”

  Although she managed a wave to the crowd as emergency responders wheeled her out on a stretcher, the whole scene cast a pall over those in attendance – most specifically Donahue’s teammates.

  “Our whole team was shaken up,” fellow Raider Jaimee Mackay said. “We all wanted to be with her, but at the same time we were afraid to see it.”
  Although upset herself, Atlee coach Donna Koehler managed to get her troops refocused on the task at hand.

  “I just reminded them that Caitlin has had knee problems before, it’s not life threatening, and it’s something that’s going to get fixed,” Koehler said.
 
  The Raiders did just that, tapping into their depth of talent to continue their dominant season performance, taking district honors as a team with a 146.15 score.

  Freshman Brianna Mackay set the early tone with an outstanding 9.375 floor routine, and Jessica Nunnally stepped into Donahue’s spot with a solid 8.675. 
  Sophomore Cameron Overstreet, who went on to defend her Central Region all-around title, led Atlee with an incredible 9.725 on the uneven bars, where the Raiders typically excel. Nunnally (9.325), Abby Holmes (9.275) and J. Mackay (9.175) all turned in high marks as well. Koehler tapped Emma Dejarnette to fill in for Donahue on bars, and she responded with a solid 8.725.

  Dejarnette’s score bettered all other Capital District competitors except Lee-Davis’s Hannah Chenault, whose excellent 9.6 qualified her for the state competition.

  “When I saw Hannah’s bar routine, I knew it would be good enough,” Lee-Davis coach Cy Witherow said.

  Indeed it was. Chenault, typically an all-around performer but still slowed by a foot injury, made the best of her only appearance in the event.

  Fellow Confederate Samantha Schools paced Lee-Davis with excellent scores in all four routines, good for fifth best in the Capital District.

  Lee-Davis (134.075) finished second in the district.

  Hanover’s Hannah Andrzejewski led the Hawks with stellar performances on the floor (9.0), vault (8.45) and bars (7.95) on the way to a sixth-best all-around in the district. Fellow Hawk Amy Waters drew loud cheers and an enthusiastic group hug with her team-leading 8.8 beam score.

  Also highlighting Hanover’s day was Jessica Moore receiving Coach of the Year honors.

  The Hawks took third in district with 122 points.

  Perhaps the most stunning performance of the day occurred when Donahue, in a full leg brace, hobbled back into the gym on crutches, triggering an eruption of applause from the crowd. She rejoined her Raider teammates as they prepared to ironically take their turn the balance beam where Donahue was injured.

  Donahue’s injury, gruesome as it may have looked, was not complex and is not expected to require surgery. 

  “When I started having problems a couple of years ago with my left knee we found out that the tracking on my knees is off,” Donahue said. “It’s been like that since I was born.

  Atlee went on to take the Capital District and Central Region championships, and will advance to state competition in Alexandria on Feb. 20-21. Joining them will be Deep Run, whose 147.675 bested Freeman (134.9), Godwin (124.225) and Patrick Henry (123.9) for the Colonial District title.

  “We’re really excited about qualifying for states in a couple of weeks,” Koehler said. “It’ll be difficult, but I think we’ve got a good chance of placing in the top two there.”

  Atlee’s roller coaster of emotions ended on a high note.

  “What a day,” Koehler said with a sigh. “To start off with such anxiety, and then to have her come back and give the team such a lift – it doesn’t get much better than that.”

CAPITAL DISTRICT
Atlee (146.15) 2. Lee-Davis (134.075)
3. Hanover (122) 4. Henrico (109).
Uneven bars — 1. Overstreet (A) 9.7; 2. Chenault
(L-D), 9.6; 3. Nunnally (A) 9.235; 4. Holmes
(A) 9.275; J. McKay (A) 9.175; 6. DeJarnette (A)
8.725..
Beam: 1. Overstreet (A) 9.55; 2. Holmes (A)
9.075; 3. Walters (H) 4. Schools (L-D) 9.55; 5. Calton
(L-D) 8.75; 6. McKay (A) 8.425.
Floor — 1. McKay (A) 9.375; 2. Overstreet (A)
9.275; Jamee McKay (A) 9.2; Anbrvejewski (Han)
9.0; 5. Glaslock (L-D) 8.9; 6. Brown (Hen) 8.8.
Vault — 1. Overstreet (A) 9.55; 2. McKay (A)
9.35; 3. Nunnally (A) 9.35; 4. Brown (Hen) 9.3; 5.
B. McKay (A) 9.15; 6. Holmes (A) 8.6.
All-around — 1. Overstreet (A) 38.075; 2. J.
McKay (A) 36.15; 3. Holmes (A) 35.7; 4. Nunnally
(A) 34.9; 5. Schools (L-D) 34.025; 6. Andrzejewski
(Han) 33.6.

CENTRAL REGION
(Top eight individuals and top two teams qualify
for state championships)
Team: 1. Atlee (146.15) 2. Deep Run (137.675)
3. Douglas Freeman (134.9) 4. Lee-Davis
(134.075) 5. Mills Godwin (124.225) 6. Patrick
Henry (123.9) 7. Hanover (122.725) 8. Henrico
(109.140).
Uneven bars — 1. Cameron Overstreet (A)
9.7; 2. Chenault (LD) 9.6; 3. Nunnally (A) 9.325; 4.
Holmes (A) 9.275; 5. J. McKay (A) 9.175; 6. Wiggins
(DR) 9.1; 7. Schmidt (DF) 9.905; Stewart
(DR) 9.0.
Beam — 1. Overstreet (A) 9.55; 2. Schmidt
(DF) 9.1; 3. Holmes (A) 9.075; 4. Chelsea Wiggins
(DR) 9.95; 5. Maynard (MG) 8.875; 6. (tie) Waters
(Han), Stewart (DR), Leister (DF) 8.8.
Floor — 1. B. McKay (A) 9.375; 2. Overstreet
(A) 9.275; 3. J. McKay (A) 9.2; 4. Maynard (MG)
9.175; 5. Wiggins (DR) 9.15; 6. Schmidt (DF)
9.025; 7. Andrzejewski (Han) 9.0; 8. Stewart (DR)
8.925.
Vault — 1. Overstreet (A) 9.55; 2. J. McKay (A)
9.25; 3. Nunnally (A) 9.35; 4. Brown (Hen) 9.3; 5.
B. McKay (A) 9.15; 6. Wiggins (DR) 9.05; 7. Leister
(DF) ) 9.0; 8. Dixon (DF) 8.85.
All-around (Top four qualify for state championships)
1. Overstreet (A) 38.075; 2. Wiggins
(DR) 36.25; 3. McKay (A) 36.15; 4. Schmidt (DF)
35.825.