Adamek Leads Monroe to Gymnastics Crown

Shawn Adamek had to be elated.

Or did he?

The Monroe High gymnast recorded the highest score in all six events at the City Section team gymnastics championships Tuesday night at University High and came within .05 of a point of tying a City all-around record.

And he certainly was pleased with Monroe’s runaway win in the meet, the Vikings’ 10th City championship under Coach Les Sasvary and their sixth in nine years.

Still, Adamek was less than satisfied.

He was more concerned with what didn’t occur than with what did.

What he missed was a highly anticipated showdown with Hamilton’s Kwame Torres.

Torres, an outstanding gymnast, broke his hand a week ago and was able to compete only in the floor exercise and vault, which for all intents and purposes derailed the Yankees’ title hopes.

With Hamilton disabled, Taft was able to sneak into second place, scoring 129.50 points. Hamilton scored 129.40 and Monroe’s winning total was 146.75.

“I’m really disappointed,” Adamek said of Torres’ limited program. “I would have really liked to see what would have happened.”

Said Sasvary: “My boys were very disappointed. They wanted a good head-to-head competition.”

But if Torres failed to score the points needed to propel Hamilton to a title, he certainly scored points in the hearts of fans, as he courageously performed the floor exercise and vault one-handed.

Still, Monroe swiveled, leaped, twirled and landed far, far ahead of the competition.

Adamek’s six wins, including personal bests of 9.25 on the rings and 9.2 on the parallel bars, gave him a meet total of 54.35, .05 short of ex-Monroe and current UCLA gymnast David Moriel’s 1984 score of 55.40.

It also provided redemption for the junior, who was sidelined for last year’s championship because of an injured ankle.

The second-place showdown between Taft and Hamilton was not settled until the final competitor of the night, Hamilton’s Omar Acosta, had finished his horizontal bar routine. Acosta’s score of 5.9 was too low for Hamilton to hold second place.