NORTHBOROUGH — The last to compete on the floor, Zinnia Hopkinson had the entire meet watching as she stepped onto the mat.
Instead of concerning herself with the extra attention, the Central Catholic junior focused on what she could control: her performance, her attitude, and, most importantly, her training.
“I just think about performing,’’ said Hopkinson, who is committed to Texas Woman’s University. “I know I can trust my training — I put in over 20 hours a week. It’s kind of easy to lock in and perform it for everybody else, put a show on for them.’’
And what a show it was. Hopkinson was the top all-around gymnast (38.600) at Saturday’s MIAA North gymmnastics championship held at Algonquin Regional. Leading her team on the uneven bars (9.550), beam (9.800), and floor (9.800), Hopkinson’s effort helped Central Catholic clinch the North title.
With a score of 147.575, the Raiders topped Masconomet (146.925), Danvers/Lynnfield (146.525), and Reading (143.525) to win. All four teams will advance to the state meet next weekend at Algonquin.
“We were down a couple of key players today . . . so these guys really pulled it together,’’ said Central Catholic coach Heather Fusco. “We were a little bit weak on bars today — that’s OK — but we came back with a really strong beam and then an awesome floor. . . . They pulled it together, and I’m proud of them as a team.’’
Central Catholic’s Kallie McCarthy, who placed first on vault (9.800) and third all-around (38.275), was also key to the first-place effort. The team was top three in every event, including a first-place finish on the beam.
“I’m really happy with how we came together as a team. We’ve been working for that the entire season, and I feel like today, it all came together. We were cheering a lot, and it’s a lot easier to just focus when you have the support of your teammates,’’ said Hopkinson.
“They’re just awesome. They’re good kids,’’ added Fusco.
South: Beaming start, finish for Mansfield
Mansfield was not enthused to start the afternoon on the balance beam.
The reigning South Sectional champion was the third seed, which resulted in starting on the beam, which most teams do not find ideal.
The Hornets did not let the disadvantage deter them.
“When we had six solid performances off of beam, I knew that things could only get better from there,’’ said Mansfield coach Lauren Dunn.
The day did get better from there. Mansfield repeated as sectional champion with 146.05 points, nosing out top-seeded Newton North (145.95) at Algonquin Regional.
Andrew Znoj, sidelined for the Hockomock League meet, gave the team an added boost, as his Yurchenko layout vault earned a 9.7, the meet’s highest individual score.
“I’ve done that vault for four years now,’’ said Znoj. “I really just think about staying tight. At this point, it’s really muscle memory. I enjoy competing it.’’
But what set Mansfield apart was the consistency through the lineup. The Hornets’ confidence was as high as their tumbling.
“We have a good core group, and they all really hit,’’ said Dunn, who received 9.0-plus scores from Bridget Boni, Ava Redding, Paige Austen, and Sophie Moore.
Newton North used a first-place floor exercise rotation to finish second (37.2).
Sofia Dukakis and Molly Haughton were fourth and fifth in the all-around. Haughton’s floor exercise stood out for its difficult turns and leaps, as well as sky-high tumbling, earning a 9.55.
“She puts everything she has into that routine,’’ said Newton North coach Cassie Ford. “Today, her landings were tight and she was clean on all of her passes.’’
After not qualifying for states for the first time in eight years last year, Bridgewater-Raynham/West Bridgewater bounced back with a third (144.15). Lindsay Woodbury took second in the all-around with a 36.9, including a 9.5 vault and a 9.45 balance beam routine, while Lily Moreira and ninth in the all-around with her own stellar beam routine, earning a 9.275.
Brockton/Cardinal Spellman/Stoughton (142.0) came up from the seventh seed to take fourth and final spot for the state meet. Much of their success was thanks to the all-around win of Juliah Donahue-Wilfred (37.050.), who trains with many of the Bridgewater-Raynham/West Bridgewater gymnasts for club competition, scored a 9.3 or above on three of four apparatus, including a 9.6 on floor exercise. Miah Webb and Ciara Thomas were also key contributors to the Brockton co-op.