Fairfield Warde senior Emma Johnson ended her fantastic high school gymnastics career in fine fashion as she certified her standing as the best gymnast in the state when she won the all-around championship at the 2023 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Girls Gymnastics State Open.
Johnson’s all-around title highlighted several accomplishments from gymnasts and gymnastics teams from the FCIAC at the State Open and state class championship meets.
Johnson led Fairfield Warde to third place at the State Open one week after Warde and Staples each placed second in team scoring at their respective state class championship meets.
Daniel Hand scored 141.75 points to win the State Open by 3.15 points over runner-up Ellington/Tolland (138.6). Fairfield Warde placed third with 137.9 points and defending champion Woodstock Academy was fourth with 135.325.
Johnson placed second in all four events at the State Open to finish with an all-around score of 37.75 and win by 0.05 of a point over Woodstock Academy’s Olivia Aleman (37.7).
Johnson had two scores which were just 0.025 of a point less than the event winners. She had a score of 9.475 which was just behind vault champion Mia Guster (9.5) of Staples, and Johnson had an excellent score of 9.575 on the balance beam which was won by Norwich Free Academy’s Trinity Ambruso (9.6). Johnson was also runner-up on the floor exercise (9.45) and she tied for second on the uneven bars (9.25).
In addition to her victory on the vault, Guster also placed fifth on the floor exercise (9.25).
Johnson helped lead Warde’s Mustangs to second place at the 2023 CIAC Girls Gymnastics State Class M Championships. Ellington/Tolland won with 142.575 points. Fairfield Warde was runner-up with 138.1 and defending Class M champion Woodstock Academy placed third with 137.45.
Johnson won the balance beam with 9.55 points, finished in a three-way tie for first on the vault (9.35), was runner-up on the uneven bars (9.15) and tied for third on the floor exercise (9.45). Though there was no official category for all around at the state class championship meets, Johnson’s total points in all four events were 37.5. Aleman won a pair of events, was in that three-way tie for first on the vault, and she totaled 37.05 for the second highest total.
Johnson began her excellent postseason at the FCIAC championship meet when she won her third consecutive Ro Carlucci Award which goes to the all-around champion. Johnson won three of the four events and scored 37.85 to help the Mustangs defend their conference title.
Wilton’s Olivia Mannino scored a 9.05 for the sixth best score on the vault at the Class M meet.
Guster led Staples to second place at the CIAC Girls Gymnastics State Class L Championships by winning the vault (9.425) and having the second best score of 9.2 on the floor exercise. So, she was the best in the state on the vault as she was a Triple Crown winner on the event, having also been the FCIAC winner prior to her victories in two state championship meets.
Southington won the Class L team title with 135.75 points, the runner-up Staples Wreckers had 133.8, Norwich Free Academy (132.425) was third, and FCIAC member Darien placed fourth with 129.7 points.
Darien’s Bella Koproski placed fifth on the balance beam with an 8.6 at the Class L meet.