SALEM – Considering the circumstances, Stu Goldstein will take his Concord gymnastics team’s performance on Monday, Dec. 18, any day. But he’s still guaranteeing it will be even better.

Concord finished second among three teams in its opening meet at Salem High, racking up 125.2 points in holding off upstart Pelham, which had 121.35. The hosts finished with 133.

Come state championship time in mid-February, Goldstein, Concord’s coach, said his squad has the potential of reaching well into the 130s if it can stay healthy.

That wasn’t the case Monday as Concord lost its top all-around performer to an ankle injury, rotated a number of its newer athletes into the lineup to gain experience and had one of its gymnasts use someone else’s music in her floor exercise because she forgot hers.

But the meet wasn’t a total washout. Senior captain Josie Unger placed first in the vault with a 9.0 and tied for third in the floor exercise with 8.9 points before an ankle injury kept her from competing on the balance beam.

Kaity Montgomery did well in replacing her, finishing fourth on the team with a 6.8, while Amanda Johnson, performing to a teammate’s music, placed fourth for Concord on the floor with a 6.5. Sophomore Shaina Balukas stood as the team’s only allaround gymnast after Unger went down, totaling 31.8 points through four events. Laura Williams also fared well, leading the team on the uneven bars – Concord’s roughest event, according to Goldstein – with a 7.5 and tying Balukas for the team lead on the beam with an 8.0.

Senior captain Brittni Ross’ 8.4 on the vault was good for second on the squad, while her 8.3 on the floor qualified for third. Senior Natalia Williams took third on the team on the beam with 7.55 points.

“For our first meet, we did excellent,” said Goldstein, whose team placed fourth at the state championship last season with 133.825.

“I would like to be in the top three going into the state meet, and there are still a lot of improvements that we have to do on the requirements. But we have time to work on it.”

Kate Moody – who represents Trinity but trains with Concord after her school didn’t field a team this year – took the all-around title on Monday with 36.1 points and first-place finishes on the uneven bars with a 9.0, the balance beam with a 9.05 and the floor with a 9.2.