SALEM, N.H. - From the outside, the Salem and Andover boys gymnastics teams seem completely different.

Salem's Nate Hicks is in his first year of coaching the Blue Devils, while Steve Sirois is a veteran coach for the Golden Warriors. Salem is without a freshman or a senior on the team, but Andover's co-captain Aaron Davidovits is a senior, and set to graduate this year.

But one thing that the Blue Devils and the Golden Warriors share is an appreciation for the gymnasts who have carried their respective teams this season. Salem finished third in the seven-team tournament, Andover finished fifth.

Burlington edged Braintree (159.6-159.4) to win the team title.

"My two top guys are Nick Miles and Sean Fallon," said Hicks.

Salem gymnast Steve Delfosse has the same two teammates in mind that have stepped up when needed this season.

"Sean (Fallon) and Nick Miles," he said. "They put up pretty good scores all the time."

Miles won the vault in last year's Salem invitational and took the all-around yesterday, earning the outstanding gymnast award. Fallon placed 7th in the event's all-around in 2007, and continued his successes this year, placing second.

According to Davidovits, Andover doesn't have specific gymnasts who carry the team.

"It's pretty much everyone," said Davidovits. "The new guys are at the stage of where the older guys were a year ago. They're all getting better equally."

Chris Chu is one of the returning gymnasts who has made strides for Andover. He has scored a season-high 6.0 on the floor, a high he matched yesterday. Davidovits has also improved. Last year, his all-around score was 36.5. This year, he placed third in the all around with a 40.2 and placed in three events.

Andover and Salem are also enthusiastic about team goals. For Salem, the objective for the Invitational was to relax and enjoy.

"We decided to go out and have fun today," said Fallon.

Davidovits and the Golden Warriors decided that their focus would be on the numbers.

"Our big goal today was to get our team score up," said Davidovits. "And the scores did improve."

The Salem Invitational proved successful for the Blue Devils, who came in third overall with a score of 153.6. In addition to Miles and Fallon placing first and second in the all around, Danny Raymond came in fifth on the parallel bars, earning a score of 6.0.

Salem Invitational

Top team results: 1. Burlington 159.6, 2. Braintree 159.2, 3. Salem 153.8, 4. Lowell 130, 5. Andover 122

Local placers (top 6): Floor: 2. Fallon (S) 8.3, 5. Aaron Davidovits (And) 7.1; Horse: No local placers; High Bar: 3. Fallon (S) 7.0; Vault: 2. Fallon (S) 8.4, 3. Davidovits (And) 8.1, 5. Danny Raymond (S) 7.9; Rings: 5. Jeff Sirois (And) 5.2; Parallel Bars: 5. Raymond (S) 6.0; All-Around: 1. Nick Miles (S) 50.7, 2. Fallon (S) 40.9; 3. Davidovits (And) 40.2