Sachem East alum Anthony Stefanelli is a junior gymnast at the University of Michigan. That’s unique because Sachem does not have a boys gymnastics team, nor does any high school on Long Island any longer.
For almost 40 years Sachem had a world class boys gymnastics program, but enrollment dipped island-wide and it changed the landscape of the sport.
Stefanelli, however, competed at private clubs and earned his way onto a Big Ten team that competes at a very high level.
This season he was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Some other notes from his junior season, according to the University of Michigan Office of Athletic Communications:
- Scored a 15.200 on vault for a second place finish and a 15.275 on vault for a third place finish at the 2016 Big Ten Individual Finals (April 2) at Ohio State’s St. John Arena
- Placed seventh on vault with a 14.900 at the 2016 Big Ten Team Finals in Columbus, Ohio (April 1)
- Currently is in sixth place in the NCAA Vault rankings with an avg. mark of 15.169 (Wk 13)