With one meet left in the regular season, the Kentlake gymnastics team increased their winning streak to a perfect 13-0 on the season with a 170.25 team win against Tahoma, Decatur and Auburn on Wednesday night.
The Falcons got strong performances from senior Kayla Shira, who won the all-around with a 37.7 score.
Shira captured first place in all four events – notching a 9.60 on the bars, a 9.2 on the beam, a 9.55 in the floor exercise and a 9.35 on the vault.
Freshman Katie Steckler continued her maturation with a third place finish in the all-around, with a 34.45 score. Steckler finished third in the bars with an 8.5 and tied for second in the floor exercise with a 9.45.
Kentlake freshman Brenna Bickel finished tied for third in the vault with a 8.60.
“I was fairly pleased with the team’s performance last night,” Kentlake head coach Marla Boyd said. “We have been struggling as a team, dealing with the pressure, especially on the beam. We still had a few falls last night but overall we are doing better at staying focused and not letting what’s happening around us affect individual performances.”
Boyd added that the team’s finish was significant because they are operating without Lynnsey Thielman, who is sidelined with a foot injury.
“We were able to hit the 170 range while having one of our strongest gymnasts out with an injury,” Boyd said. “I think this is a testament to the depth that we have. It is also a big confidence booster for the team, knowing that we have the depth to absorb an injury, a mistake, etc.”
According to Boyd, Thielman had a pin removed from her foot this past Monday and is walking without crutches.
“Barring any unforeseen set-backs, you could see her getting back in the rotation as early as next week, even if it’s just bars,” she said. “The most important thing is that she gets a strong recovery so we are not pushing it.”
Currently Thielman is waiting the go-ahead to return to competition from her doctor.
Now, the team is focused on preparing for the Kent All-City meet, this Wednesday, Jan. 28 at Kentridge.
“We are working on adding difficulty in order to increase start values,” Boyd said. “Our goal for postseason is to have six optional bar routines, and 10.0 start values on the beam and floor for all six gymnasts in the lineup. Gils have been working on skills and we are getting closer and closer to this goal.”
Tahoma finished second in the team competition with a 161.65, with Decatur posting a 138.45 and Auburn a 137.95.
Tahoma’s Brianna McKenney was second in the overall with a 36.15. She captured second place on the bars with a 8.60, the beam with a 8.90, the vault with a 9.20 and tied for second on the floor with a 9.45.
Teammate Anna Marie Price was third on the beam with a 8.70 score.
RESULTS
Kentlake 170.25, Tahoma 161.65, Decatur 138.45, Auburn 137.95
All-around — 1, Kayla Shira, KL, 37.70; 2, Brianna McKenney TAH, 36.15; 3, Katie Steckler KL, 34.45.
Bars — 1, Shira, KL, 9.60; 2, McKenney TAH, 8.60; 3,Steckler, KL,8.5.
Beam — 1, Shira, KL, 9.20; 2, McKenney TAH, 8.90; 3, Anna Marie Price TAH, 8.70.
Floor — 1, Shira, KL, 9.55; TIE 2, McKenney, TAH, 9.45; Steckler, KL, 9.45.
Vault — 1, Shira, KL, 9.35; 2, McKenney, TAH, 9.20; TIE 3, Brenna Bickel KL, 8.60, Holly Phan, DEC, 8.60.
ELSEWHERE: Kent-Meridian’s Nora Keith was the all-around winner at Wednesday’s quad meet featuring North Kitsap, Kent-Meridian, Federal Way and Rogers. Keith notched a 36.50 all-around score, fueled by four first place finishes in the events. Keith scored a 8.6 on the bars, a 9.2 on the beam, a 9.5 in the floor exercise and a 9.2 on the vault. Teammate Kim Concillado grabbed third in the floor competition with an 8,7 score. North Kitsap came out on top in the team competition with a 152.8 score, followed by the Royals with a 147.95, Federal Way with a 138.0 and Rogers with a 132.1. Rogers’ Rachel Miller was second in the all-around with a 34.9 and North Kitsap’s Melissa Kunold was third with a 33.9.
RESULTS
North Kitsap 152.8, Kent-Meridian 147.95, Federal Way 138.0, Rogers 132.1
All-around — 1, Nora Keith, KM, 36.5; 2, Rachel Miller, R, 34.9; 3, Melissa Kunold, NK, 33.9.
Bars — 1, Keith, KM, 8.6; 2, Miller, R, 8.5; 3, Kunold, NK, 8.0.
Beam — 1, Keith, KM, 9.2; 2, McKenna Elves, NK, 9.0; 3, Miller, R, 8.9.
Floor — 1, Keith, KM, 9.5; 2, Miller, R, 9.2; 3, Kim Concillado, KM, 8.7.
Vault — 1, Keith, KM, 9.2; 2, Kunold, NK, 8.75; 3, Lydia Berger, FW, 8.5.
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