Romeri takes talents beyond pole vault (MA)
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:54 pm
http://sports.bostonherald.com/highScho ... id=1005029
New heights at L-S: Romeri takes talents beyond pole vault -- including trapeze
By Lenny Megliola/ Hot Shots
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - Updated: 01:08 AM EST
First thing you want to ask her is: Why, Sophia, why? Weren’t soccer and gymnastics enough? And, hey, this track stuff, what about that? You started pole vaulting in the sixth grade. By the time you were a freshman in high school you were cleaning up in the event. Just so you wouldn’t get bored, you did the triple jump and the hurdles. And obviously you didn’t forget to crack the books, since you’re a B-plus student.
So, why, Sophia Romeri? Why THIS? A flying trapeze act? What, you didn’t have enough on your plate?
To say Romeri, a Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore, is unique is like saying the sky is blue, or breathing is a good idea. Unique? Listen to Mel Gonsalves, her track coach at L-S. "Sophia’s a bit of a free thinker. She has a calming, holistic effect about her." Oh sure, that’s what all high school coaches say about their players.
Then, almost incidentally, Gonsalves will throw in: "Sophia’s in the circus." Huh? Makes sense to have the sky the limit as your goal in the pole vault. But the flying trapeze, up in the air like that, depending on somebody to catch you?
Gonsalves found out how special Romeri was in her freshman year in the state meet in Fitchburg. The meet was all but over. The only event left was the pole vault, Romeri’s event. "We needed a minimum of second place to win the meet," says Gonsalves. "Sophia did 10-6, her best ever. She worked her magic. It was clutch."
Lot of pressure on a freshman, it would seem. Nah. "I knew I was going to make it," she says. "I was very determined. I didn’t want to let anybody down." But what about the pressure? "I felt it. That helped me."
"She doesn’t rattle," says Gonsalves. "She shouldn’t have been in that position. She had to pull it off and she did. I jumped about three feet off the ground. Sophia was mauled by her teammates."
Romeri went through the Dual County League season unbeaten in the pole vault as a freshman. Her only defeat came in the class meet at St. John’s Prep. It wasn’t so bad, though. She lost to a teammate, and it just happened to be her sister, Fiona, who is pole vaulting at Boston University this year.
The younger Romeri has ruled the event in the DCL this season as well, going undefeated again. At the league championships in Weston, she added second-place finishes in the triple jump and 100-meter hurdles, accounting for 26 of Lincoln-Sudbury’s 141 points. On May 26, she won easily at the EMass Division 1 meet at Lowell’s Cawley Stadium, where she also finished second in the triple jump as L-S ran away with the title.
Now, about the flying trapeze bit. "Sophia just loves flying in the air," says her mother, Sue. It began when Tito Gaona, who had years of circus experience with Ringling Bros., brought his Flying Fantasy Circus to the area. "I had a friend in gymnastics who took lessons from him," says Romeri. "She said, ’Come on and try it, I think you’ll like it." Romeri went.
New heights at L-S: Romeri takes talents beyond pole vault -- including trapeze
By Lenny Megliola/ Hot Shots
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - Updated: 01:08 AM EST
First thing you want to ask her is: Why, Sophia, why? Weren’t soccer and gymnastics enough? And, hey, this track stuff, what about that? You started pole vaulting in the sixth grade. By the time you were a freshman in high school you were cleaning up in the event. Just so you wouldn’t get bored, you did the triple jump and the hurdles. And obviously you didn’t forget to crack the books, since you’re a B-plus student.
So, why, Sophia Romeri? Why THIS? A flying trapeze act? What, you didn’t have enough on your plate?
To say Romeri, a Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore, is unique is like saying the sky is blue, or breathing is a good idea. Unique? Listen to Mel Gonsalves, her track coach at L-S. "Sophia’s a bit of a free thinker. She has a calming, holistic effect about her." Oh sure, that’s what all high school coaches say about their players.
Then, almost incidentally, Gonsalves will throw in: "Sophia’s in the circus." Huh? Makes sense to have the sky the limit as your goal in the pole vault. But the flying trapeze, up in the air like that, depending on somebody to catch you?
Gonsalves found out how special Romeri was in her freshman year in the state meet in Fitchburg. The meet was all but over. The only event left was the pole vault, Romeri’s event. "We needed a minimum of second place to win the meet," says Gonsalves. "Sophia did 10-6, her best ever. She worked her magic. It was clutch."
Lot of pressure on a freshman, it would seem. Nah. "I knew I was going to make it," she says. "I was very determined. I didn’t want to let anybody down." But what about the pressure? "I felt it. That helped me."
"She doesn’t rattle," says Gonsalves. "She shouldn’t have been in that position. She had to pull it off and she did. I jumped about three feet off the ground. Sophia was mauled by her teammates."
Romeri went through the Dual County League season unbeaten in the pole vault as a freshman. Her only defeat came in the class meet at St. John’s Prep. It wasn’t so bad, though. She lost to a teammate, and it just happened to be her sister, Fiona, who is pole vaulting at Boston University this year.
The younger Romeri has ruled the event in the DCL this season as well, going undefeated again. At the league championships in Weston, she added second-place finishes in the triple jump and 100-meter hurdles, accounting for 26 of Lincoln-Sudbury’s 141 points. On May 26, she won easily at the EMass Division 1 meet at Lowell’s Cawley Stadium, where she also finished second in the triple jump as L-S ran away with the title.
Now, about the flying trapeze bit. "Sophia just loves flying in the air," says her mother, Sue. It began when Tito Gaona, who had years of circus experience with Ringling Bros., brought his Flying Fantasy Circus to the area. "I had a friend in gymnastics who took lessons from him," says Romeri. "She said, ’Come on and try it, I think you’ll like it." Romeri went.
Gonsalves didn’t even have a pole vault coach last year. "Fiona and Sophia were like coaches out there," says Gonsalves. The senior and her freshman sister. With Fiona in college, all eyes are on Sophia. She can handle it. "She’s only a sophomore, but she has so much poise," says Gonsalves. “That’s the thing. Her poise."
Jane Farrell, L-S class of 2002 who graduated last year from Brandeis, where she did the pole vault, came on board this season to coach the event at L-S. Farrell had known Romeri for a couple of years. They met at a pole vault club in Natick. "Sophia had great potential," says Farrell. "I wouldn’t put a limit on it. She’s a natural, really, with any athletic movement. She takes her time learning, then adds a little bit each time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she excelled in the other events besides the pole vault."
But it is Romeri at her specialty that really is most captivating. "She’s quick, and when she’s in the air, she’s graceful up there," says Farrell. "She’s so smooth." With all of her success at such a young age, Romeri is content to just blend in. "If she wins, she doesn’t boast or showboat," says Farrell. "She’s happy but calm. She has a positive effect on her teammates."
When Farrell found out Romeri did the flying trapeze act, pole vaulting just seemed an extension of that. "It goes along with her love of being in the air."
For Sophia Romeri, the question has always been: How high can you go? The answers keep coming. Eleven feet this year, and she’s already thinking bigger. "I want to do 12 feet this year. I think I can go a foot higher each year."
The young lady on the flying trapeze.
New heights at L-S: Romeri takes talents beyond pole vault -- including trapeze
By Lenny Megliola/ Hot Shots
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - Updated: 01:08 AM EST
First thing you want to ask her is: Why, Sophia, why? Weren’t soccer and gymnastics enough? And, hey, this track stuff, what about that? You started pole vaulting in the sixth grade. By the time you were a freshman in high school you were cleaning up in the event. Just so you wouldn’t get bored, you did the triple jump and the hurdles. And obviously you didn’t forget to crack the books, since you’re a B-plus student.
So, why, Sophia Romeri? Why THIS? A flying trapeze act? What, you didn’t have enough on your plate?
To say Romeri, a Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore, is unique is like saying the sky is blue, or breathing is a good idea. Unique? Listen to Mel Gonsalves, her track coach at L-S. "Sophia’s a bit of a free thinker. She has a calming, holistic effect about her." Oh sure, that’s what all high school coaches say about their players.
Then, almost incidentally, Gonsalves will throw in: "Sophia’s in the circus." Huh? Makes sense to have the sky the limit as your goal in the pole vault. But the flying trapeze, up in the air like that, depending on somebody to catch you?
Gonsalves found out how special Romeri was in her freshman year in the state meet in Fitchburg. The meet was all but over. The only event left was the pole vault, Romeri’s event. "We needed a minimum of second place to win the meet," says Gonsalves. "Sophia did 10-6, her best ever. She worked her magic. It was clutch."
Lot of pressure on a freshman, it would seem. Nah. "I knew I was going to make it," she says. "I was very determined. I didn’t want to let anybody down." But what about the pressure? "I felt it. That helped me."
"She doesn’t rattle," says Gonsalves. "She shouldn’t have been in that position. She had to pull it off and she did. I jumped about three feet off the ground. Sophia was mauled by her teammates."
Romeri went through the Dual County League season unbeaten in the pole vault as a freshman. Her only defeat came in the class meet at St. John’s Prep. It wasn’t so bad, though. She lost to a teammate, and it just happened to be her sister, Fiona, who is pole vaulting at Boston University this year.
The younger Romeri has ruled the event in the DCL this season as well, going undefeated again. At the league championships in Weston, she added second-place finishes in the triple jump and 100-meter hurdles, accounting for 26 of Lincoln-Sudbury’s 141 points. On May 26, she won easily at the EMass Division 1 meet at Lowell’s Cawley Stadium, where she also finished second in the triple jump as L-S ran away with the title.
Now, about the flying trapeze bit. "Sophia just loves flying in the air," says her mother, Sue. It began when Tito Gaona, who had years of circus experience with Ringling Bros., brought his Flying Fantasy Circus to the area. "I had a friend in gymnastics who took lessons from him," says Romeri. "She said, ’Come on and try it, I think you’ll like it." Romeri went.
New heights at L-S: Romeri takes talents beyond pole vault -- including trapeze
By Lenny Megliola/ Hot Shots
Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - Updated: 01:08 AM EST
First thing you want to ask her is: Why, Sophia, why? Weren’t soccer and gymnastics enough? And, hey, this track stuff, what about that? You started pole vaulting in the sixth grade. By the time you were a freshman in high school you were cleaning up in the event. Just so you wouldn’t get bored, you did the triple jump and the hurdles. And obviously you didn’t forget to crack the books, since you’re a B-plus student.
So, why, Sophia Romeri? Why THIS? A flying trapeze act? What, you didn’t have enough on your plate?
To say Romeri, a Lincoln-Sudbury sophomore, is unique is like saying the sky is blue, or breathing is a good idea. Unique? Listen to Mel Gonsalves, her track coach at L-S. "Sophia’s a bit of a free thinker. She has a calming, holistic effect about her." Oh sure, that’s what all high school coaches say about their players.
Then, almost incidentally, Gonsalves will throw in: "Sophia’s in the circus." Huh? Makes sense to have the sky the limit as your goal in the pole vault. But the flying trapeze, up in the air like that, depending on somebody to catch you?
Gonsalves found out how special Romeri was in her freshman year in the state meet in Fitchburg. The meet was all but over. The only event left was the pole vault, Romeri’s event. "We needed a minimum of second place to win the meet," says Gonsalves. "Sophia did 10-6, her best ever. She worked her magic. It was clutch."
Lot of pressure on a freshman, it would seem. Nah. "I knew I was going to make it," she says. "I was very determined. I didn’t want to let anybody down." But what about the pressure? "I felt it. That helped me."
"She doesn’t rattle," says Gonsalves. "She shouldn’t have been in that position. She had to pull it off and she did. I jumped about three feet off the ground. Sophia was mauled by her teammates."
Romeri went through the Dual County League season unbeaten in the pole vault as a freshman. Her only defeat came in the class meet at St. John’s Prep. It wasn’t so bad, though. She lost to a teammate, and it just happened to be her sister, Fiona, who is pole vaulting at Boston University this year.
The younger Romeri has ruled the event in the DCL this season as well, going undefeated again. At the league championships in Weston, she added second-place finishes in the triple jump and 100-meter hurdles, accounting for 26 of Lincoln-Sudbury’s 141 points. On May 26, she won easily at the EMass Division 1 meet at Lowell’s Cawley Stadium, where she also finished second in the triple jump as L-S ran away with the title.
Now, about the flying trapeze bit. "Sophia just loves flying in the air," says her mother, Sue. It began when Tito Gaona, who had years of circus experience with Ringling Bros., brought his Flying Fantasy Circus to the area. "I had a friend in gymnastics who took lessons from him," says Romeri. "She said, ’Come on and try it, I think you’ll like it." Romeri went.
Gonsalves didn’t even have a pole vault coach last year. "Fiona and Sophia were like coaches out there," says Gonsalves. The senior and her freshman sister. With Fiona in college, all eyes are on Sophia. She can handle it. "She’s only a sophomore, but she has so much poise," says Gonsalves. “That’s the thing. Her poise."
Jane Farrell, L-S class of 2002 who graduated last year from Brandeis, where she did the pole vault, came on board this season to coach the event at L-S. Farrell had known Romeri for a couple of years. They met at a pole vault club in Natick. "Sophia had great potential," says Farrell. "I wouldn’t put a limit on it. She’s a natural, really, with any athletic movement. She takes her time learning, then adds a little bit each time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she excelled in the other events besides the pole vault."
But it is Romeri at her specialty that really is most captivating. "She’s quick, and when she’s in the air, she’s graceful up there," says Farrell. "She’s so smooth." With all of her success at such a young age, Romeri is content to just blend in. "If she wins, she doesn’t boast or showboat," says Farrell. "She’s happy but calm. She has a positive effect on her teammates."
When Farrell found out Romeri did the flying trapeze act, pole vaulting just seemed an extension of that. "It goes along with her love of being in the air."
For Sophia Romeri, the question has always been: How high can you go? The answers keep coming. Eleven feet this year, and she’s already thinking bigger. "I want to do 12 feet this year. I think I can go a foot higher each year."
The young lady on the flying trapeze.