SOMERSET, MASS. — East Providence High School sent its largest contingent of athletes to a state gymnastics competition in some 40 years when four Townies vied in the 2021 Rhode Island Interscholastic League Midge Palmer Individual Championships Sunday, Feb. 21, at the Strive Gymnastics & Fitness Center in nearby Somerset, Mass.

Mackenzie Botelho, Meredith Crookes, Haley Massa, and Haily Kaiser represented EPHS at the meet and throughout the season, training in cooperation with the Middletown High team.

Massa, a junior, scored an 8.25 on the floor exercise, an event won by Madison Long of the Toll Gate/Pilgrim Warwick co-op with a score of 9.5.

Massa also received an 8.35 on vault while Botelho, a freshman, earned an 8.2, Kaiser, a junior, an 8.0 and Crookes, a senior, a 7.6. Wheeler’s Sari Nostramo won the event with a 9.25.

LaSalle’s Marissa Zarra won bars with a score of 9.0 and North Kingstown’s Olivia Priest won beam with a 9.5 en route to winning the individual state title.

Priest finished with the day’s top all-around total of 36.9 points on the four apparatus. The Skippers’ sophomore was also second floor (9.45) and bars (8.95) and third on vault (9.0). Long was runner-up all-around with a 34.925 with another Toll Gate/Pilgrim gymnast Katie Ignagni third at 34.825.

Of note locally as well, Brianna Silva, a freshman representing the Providence Country Day School in city, placed 23rd all-around with a total of 33.05. She received an 8.25 on vault, a 7.8 on bars, an 8.55 on beam and an 8.45 on floor. Her score on beam placed her 16th in the event, her best individual event result in the meet.

At the team Regional Championships held Saturday, Feb. 20, Mt. Hope with 132.6 points won Region 1 at the Newport County YMCA; the Warwick co-op (Toll Gate/Pilgrim) with 138.2 won Region 2 at Dream Big; and Region 3 at New Generations went to LaSalle with 137.60.

— East Providence Post and eastbayri.com contributing photographer Julie Furtado shot the accompanying gallery of photos.