By Liam Reilly
@liampreilly852
As the fall semester comes to an end, Springfield College winter sports are heating up. Basketball, indoor track, swimming & diving and wrestling have all started competitive play, leaving gymnastics as one of two that has yet to begin.
Matthew Davis is entering his sixth season as Springfield’s men’s gymnastics head coach. Coming off of a ECAC Coach of the Year award, Davis is looking to build upon last year by adding some new hardware to the team’s collection.
“Each year we continue to keep pushing our goals and keep getting higher and higher in the NCAA ranking. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for NCAA championships.” Davis said. “We’re hosting the ECAC conference championship so we’re looking to take the cup this year”
Senior captain Kael Donley shared his goals for the year as well.
“My individual goals are more of team goals,” Donley said. “I want to be the best gymnast I can be, have routines that I can hit consistently for the team and be able to be a guy that can lead a team and help the team out whenever I can.”
As a Springfield College alum, Davis knows how important academics are. The team was recognized for having the fifth-best GPA in college gymnastics.
“It’s a big thing for our program,” Davis said. “For me as a coach, I always want to see our team achieve in the gym but in academics as well. What they’re going to do after the four years at Springfield College is really important to me to make sure we’re helping them succeed gymnastics and academics wise.”
As for the women’s gymnastics team, they are discovering their identity after hiring Diana Gallagher to be the next head coach. Gallagher’s past coaching experience includes her time at Dunne Gymnastics, where she coached qualifiers for the state, regional and national championships. Looking to uphold the team’s success on the national stage and strong academics is key to Gallagher.
“Upholding that tradition is important to me,” Gallagher said. “I’m looking to continue the competitive success on the national level and value hard work, showing up for one another and being willing to do whatever it takes for the good of the team.”
Gallagher was once in the shoes of her players, as she’s a former Division III student-athlete. At SUNY Cortland, Gallagher was named to the SUNYAC All-Academic Team while placing 10th on the floor exercise at the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs. Gallagher sees her experience as important to her coaching.
“That experience was valuable to me to see what works, what doesn’t work and it helps you have empathy with athletes too,” she said. “They juggle being on a sports team, doing school and other activities, it’s a fine line to walk. I want to bring a lot of support and perspective on that having done it myself.”
The team hasn’t named captains, but has looked to upperclassmen to lead. Three upperclassmen that have stepped up as leaders are seniors Danah Macleod, Annie Kiley and Kelly McGuinness. The trio spoke on the impact Gallagher is making so far.
“She hears us and understands that we’re people, not just gymnasts,” Kiley said. “She’s always there inside and outside the gym and she’s the first person to text to make sure everything’s good.”
The men’s team starts off the year at Army and the West Point Open in N.Y. while the women’s team travels to Ursinus in Collegeville, Penn.
Photo Courtesy of Springfield College.