Kent-Meridian’s Nora Keith was banged up on Saturday during the Class 4A sub-district meet at Kentwood High.
Kentlake’s Lynnsey Thielman wasn’t banged up, but was suffering from a bad cough.
Two of the South Puget Sound League North Division’s top gymnasts may not have been at their best, but both still managed to qualify for the district meet.
“I was sick all week and I only had one practice in,” Thielman noted. “I just pushed through it and dealt with it. It was just something that had to be done. I didn’t have a choice. I took a lot of medicine and got a lot of sleep.”
The top two six teams and top nine individuals from the meet earned berths to the district meet, which will be held Saturday (Feb. 13) at Auburn Mountainview High. The top two teams, two all-arounds and six individuals at the district meet earn berths to state, which is slated for Feb. 19-20 at the Tacoma Dome.
Thielman and teammate Katie Steckler were the only two local gymnasts to qualify in the all around while Keith, strained lower back and all, managed to pull through in the vault, bars and floor.
“There’s not much I can do about it other than just try to rest as much as I can,” said Keith. “I’ve been heating and icing a lot. This whole weekend I had a heating pads everywhere I went.”
Puyallup squeezed out the team title at the sub-district meet with 170.25 points, barely holding off Beamer (169.925), Jefferson (169.275) and Auburn Riverside (167.25). Kentlake delivered the highest team finish among local teams, finishing in seventh place with 157.175 points and just short of what was needed to advance to district. Kent-Meridian was the next highest team finisher among locals, taking 10th with 146.275 points followed by 12th-place Kentridge (144.7) and 13th-place Kentwood (141.775).
Other district qualifiers include: Kentlake’s Brenna Bickel (vault, bars); Kent-Meridian’s Juliana Adams (floor, beam) and Jenna Crain (bars) along with Kentwood’s Jordan Johnson (vault, bars, floor and beam) and Hannah Swanson (uneven bars) along with Kentridge’s Beth Van Huevel (beam, vault).
Thielman, however, proved to be the day’s top finisher, taking seventh in the all-around with a total score of 35.600. Thielman delivered an 8.375 in the vault, 8.50 in the uneven bars, 9.375 on the balance beam and a 9.350 on her floor routine.
“I think, considering she was sick, she had a pretty good meet,” said Kentlake coach Marla Boyd.
The day, however, was a struggle for Keith, who endured a handful of uncharacteristic falls. Keith, who finished 13th in the all-around, earned district berths in the vault (8.975), uneven bars (7.70) and with her floor routine (9.40). Keith’s floor routine was second only to Jefferson’s Madi Kellar (9.425).
Despite advancing through to the district meet, Keith remained frustrated with a couple stumbles.
“I definitely want to figure out what happened at subs and learn from that,” said Keith, who took third at state last winter in the vault. “It’s about learning from the mistakes that were made and not dwelling on them. I have to look at districts as a new meet.”
Meanwhile, Kentwood coach Bob Fenton was pleased with the performances delivered by Johnson and Swanson, especially in light of much top-flight talent was on hand at the league meet.
“I knew Jordan would make it through and it’s really nice that Hannah performed so well,” Fenton said. “It was tough. Our league is tough. There are so many good individual gymnasts and the allocations (for district) are low.”
TEAM SCORES — 1. Puyallup 170.25. 2. Beamer 169.925. 3. Jefferson 169.275. 4. Auburn Riverside 167.25. 5. Emerald Ridge 164.025. 6. Olympia 159.625. 7. Kentlake 157.175. 8. Tahoma 153.05. 9. Federal Way 149.9. 10. Kent-Meridian 146.275. 11. Auburn 145.475, 12. Kentridge 144.7. 13. Kentwood 141.775. 14. Decatur 139.125. 15. Rogers 133.525.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
All-around — 1. Becca Turnbow, Auburn Riverside, 37.025. 2. Chelsey Haskey, Puyallup, 36.775. 3. Madi Kellar, Jefferson, 36.35.
Vault — 1 (tie). Haskey, Puyallup, and Sam West, Beamer, 9.4. 3. Turnbow, Auburn Riverside, 9.325.
Bars — 1. Bri McKenny, Tahoma, 8.925. 2. Turnbow, Auburn Riverside, 8.85. 3. Kellar, Jefferson, 8.825.
Beam — 1. Kellar, Jefferson, 9.7. 2. Haskey, Puyallup, 9.525; 3. Turnbow, Auburn Riverside, 9.450.
Floor — 1. Kellar, Jefferson, 9.425. 2 (tie). Nora Keith, Kent-Meridian, and Turnbow, Auburn Riverside, 9.4
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