GUILDERLAND — It was a bittersweet day for the Guilderland High School gymnastics team last Thursday.

The Lady Dutch came into the Section II meet as the top team, after going unbeaten in eight dual meets this season and winning the Suburban Council title. The Dutch left the meet as the number-two team in Section II after falling to Saratoga by a score of 170.875 points to 168.100.

However, the Guilderland squad had three girls qualify for the New York State meet and a fourth qualify as an alternate for the meet slated for Rush-Henrietta High School in the Rochester area, March 2 and 3.
"We didn’t have our best day," said Guilderland Coach Brenda Goodknight at practice on Monday. "It had a lot to do, I think, with the older girls having an off day and the younger girls being a little inexperienced at this level of competition. I think it was those two things together. I can’t complain; it was an awesome season. I’ll take what we did this season to who was best at 4:35 on Thursday, Feb. 15."
"It was disappointing," Senior Dana Goodknight said about the team loss. "But it’s not a big deal. It was kind of bittersweet. I’d rather win the Suburban Council title than Section II. I think it’s more important to go undefeated for the season."

Dana Goodknight, the coach’s daughter, won the individual all-around title with a final score of 36.575. She has won 11 straight all-around titles this season.
"Individually, I did well," Goodknight said. "Vault still haunts me to this day. There’s nothing I can do about it now."

Vault was the only event that Goodknight did not win at the sectional meet.

Eighth-grader Alexa Patnaude came in fourth in the all-around with a score of 34.375. She will be an alternate for the state team.

Patnaude did qualify for the state meet in the uneven bars with an 8.8 and in the vault after she finished third, also scoring 8.8 points.
"My bars makes me more confident for the rest of the meet," Patnaude said. "If I do one thing well, it gives me more confidence."

Senior Toni Whitbeck qualified for the state meet on the uneven bars. She scored 8.125 points to come in fifth.
"Bars and floor are my favorite," Whitbeck said. "I did not do well at sectionals. I felt my routine was pretty good. But I’ve had higher scores throughout the season."

Kristi Russell, an eighth-grader, made the state team as an alternate in the floor exercise. She finished seventh with 9.10 points.

The top three all-around scorers qualify for the state meet, as do the top six in each event.

Young talent
"It is unusual to have younger girls qualify for states," Brenda Goodknight said. "They are talented, but the season is dependent on one meet with a high level of competition. There are a lot of talented seventh- and eighth-graders in this section."
"We’ve been doing gymnastics for a long time," Patnaude said.
"It is really cool we made it as eighth-graders," Russell added.

What the two middle-school students accomplished surprised some people.
"No one expects us to be good," Patnaude said.
"And that young," Russell added, finishing the sentence.
"I definitely couldn’t be any prouder of these girls," Dana Goodknight said. "They stepped up when it was unexpected. It’s cool to see everyone succeed."

Patnaude has been doing gymnastics since she was 3 years old and Russell started when she was 2. Both compete at the club level as well, for Northeast Institute of Gymnastics in Albany.
"This is a lot different than club," Russell said. "That is more individual and there isn’t much of a team. Here, it’s more about the team."
"You’re hanging out with the whole team," Patnaude said. "Not just girls at your level. This is more fun than club gymnastics where you are just focused on what you do."
"You’re thinking about what everyone is doing," Russell added about the varsity team. "And not just what you are doing. And you are cheering them on."
"It’s been a long time since Guilderland had four kids at the state meet," Goodknight said. "It was definitely nice to have that happen."
"We didn’t have a good meet as a team," Russell said. "We’re not too uspet. We had a good all-around season. "It’s just one meet."
"It’s not worth getting all upset," Patnaude added. "But I knew, as myself, I did good."

Looking ahead

Goodknight is proud of her team’s accomplishments this season. She is also looking forward to the future, despite losing three talented seniors in Whitbeck, Dana Goodknight, and Jen Diana.
"They are a great group of girls," Coach Goodknight said. "We’ll miss Dana, Toni, and Jen, especially on the uneven bars. But the group we have coming up is very talented. We should be very, very good."

Dana Goodknight plans on competing in gymnastics in college, though she hasn’t decided where she will go to school.
"I’m still deciding," Goodknight said. "It’s a tough choice. I want to compete for a team I like. It has to have what I want academically and sports-wise."

Whitbeck will be diving in college. She hasn’t made a decision as to where she will attend school, but one school is the front runner.
"I’ll be diving, but I would like to do club gymnastics," Whitbeck said. "I haven’t decided but I’m thinking [SUNY] Geneseo. I’m not sure. I’ve talked to coaches about diving, and told them I was doing gymnastics and most were happy to hear that. It’s nice to hear that enthusiasm."
"Toni missed going to the states for diving by an eighth of a point or something like that," Brenda Goodknight said. "I was hoping she would go to states for gymnastics. She loves diving. It’s her first love; she’s doing that in college. This is a nice way to finish off her career."

The four competitors are looking to do the best they can at the state meet. They are not worrying about where they place, but continuing to improve or have their best scores before the season ends.
"I kind of expect to place in the top 10," Dana Goodknight said. "I want to do well."
"I don’t want to get four on the bars," Whitbeck said of avoiding a low score. "I want to try to get my highest scores this season."

The Lady Dutch gymnasts have improved all season, their coach said.
"Overall everyone improved skill-wise, with their attitude, and with their conditioning over the year," Coach Goodknight said. "They continued to work from the opening meet, the Shaker Invitational, until sectionals. I’m very pleased with the season."