How bottle of Diet Mountain Dew comforted grieving gymnastics team

Pictured are (front row l-r) Front row: Gwen Sloan, Reese Maddock, Lia Pinkosky, Avery Wolf, (back row l-r) Coach Dana Driscoll, Soha Harish, Ella Schimmelpfenneg, Savannah Godman, Elisa Quinn, Kiera Shisler, Paris Hayes and Coach Janelle Maryanski.
Moments before the Canton gymnastics team’s season-opening meet Dec. 6 against Salem — and its first competition since the unexpected death Oct. 21 of beloved longtime Head Coach John Cunningham — Canton High School Athletic Director Kristen Farkas delivered a heartfelt speech about Cunningham and what he meant to the Plymouth-Canton community.
“There was a lot of built-up emotion, so a lot of us started crying,” said Janelle Maryanski, who, in the hours after Cunningham’s passing, committed to help coach Canton’s gymnasts this season in addition to her role as Salem’s head gymnastics coach. “I could feel the emotions all day.”
Before the tears could dry, a subtle yet powerful scene unfolded in the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park’s shared gymnastics room, the site of the meet.
“The parent of a former Canton gymnast placed a bottle of Diet Mountain Dew on the scoring table,” Maryanski shared. “Those of us who knew J.C. well rarely saw him without a bottle of Diet Mountain Dew in his hand.
‘Carry on and do best’
“So when the parent set the bottle on the table, it was kind of a reminder that, hey, he is still with us and he’d want us to carry on and do our best.”

With Cunningham’s wife, Sally, and one of his three sons in attendance, a classic battle ensued, with the Rocks ultimately holding on for a 137-136 victory.
Maryanski, who wore a shirt during the meet featuring a red-white-and-blue logo that spelled out Salem-Canton Gymnastics, is being assisted this season by former Salem Head Coach Dana Driscoll and Maryanski’s mom, Judi Hudak, both of whom currently serve as high gymnastics judges.
“Ever since J.C. passed away and we offered to coach Canton, I have heard from an army of people — former gymnasts, parents of former gymnasts — who basically said, ‘We are so proud of you!’,” Maryanski said. “We’ve had former gymnasts offer to help coach if we needed them, including Abby Johnston, who graduated two years ago.
The only option
“Everyone is so appreciative. I’ve said this before, but when J.C. passed away, me helping out like this wasn’t an option. I knew the minute I learned of his death that this is what I needed to do.”
Maryanski said Canton’s 11 gymnasts — six of whom are seniors — have adjusted to the transition as well as could be expected.

“Dana and I worked with them most of this past summer, so it’s not like we were strangers,” Maryanski said. “During our first meeting before the first practice, we asked them what they wanted from us. We’ve figured out what was going to work, and they’ve done a great job of doing what they need to do.”
The Chiefs are led by senior Lia Jankowski, who excels in all aspects of the sport.
“Lia is very solid in all the events,” Maryanski said. “She just learned a new vault, she set it up and tried it for the first time in competition against Salem, and it was exciting.”
Emerging points-earners
Junior Reese Maddock is another all-arounder the Chiefs will be counting on mightily this season.
“Reese really worked hard over the summer,” Maryanski said. “I’m expected her and Lia to be our leading scorers.”
Maryanski said several Canton gymnasts are showing great promise in individual event, noting Avery Wolfe on the vault and Savannah Godman on the balance beam.
“Avery has added a nice handspring to her full vault and Savannah gets up there on the beam and she’s always great.”
Hard-working group
While praising the entire squad’s work ethic, Maryanski said senior Paris Hayes and freshman Soha Harish are emerging difference-makers.
“Paris is very talented,” Maryanski said. “Once she gets more confident, watch out. The other day she said, ‘Let me try a handstand on bars’. She did it rather easily. It’s just a matter of believing in herself.”
It’s too early in the season to predict how Canton will do this season.
But one thing is certain: The positive influence John Cunningham left on the Chiefs will never be forgotten.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.