Staff Reports
COLUMBUS — The New Palestine gymnastics team concluded its season with a sixth-place finale at Saturday’s Columbus East Regional.
The Dragons tallied 100.4 points overall and just narrowly missed sending an individual representative to the IHSAA state finals in Muncie this weekend.
Richmond (107.75) went on to win the regional team title, with Columbus North (106.725) and Martinsville (105.475) finishing second and third, respectively.
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Bloomington North was fourth with 104.575 points. New Castle placed fifth with 102.800 points.
The top-three placing teams at regional advanced to the IHSAA gymnastics state finals to be conducted this upcoming weekend at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena.
New Palestine junior Kennedy Garrett was 10th in the all-around competition (34.675) and senior Emma Poag was 17th (31.975), which proved an admirable feat considering the, at times, trying journey the Dragons traveled this gymnastics season.
“This was a long season, and we’re thankful to have finished strong,” New Palestine head coach Debbie Bruns remarked. “Being quarantined twice and also not being allowed to practice during the winter weather definitely played a part in how we finished at regional, but we had two girls who just missed qualifying for the state meet, finishing seventh and missing it by .025.”
On vault, Garrett placed 14th (8.95), while junior Alyse Rickey and Poag tied for 25th (8.5).
On uneven bars, Poag finished 14th (8.275), with Garrett 21st (7.925) and sophomore Addi Kendall 27th (7.55).
On balance beam, the Dragons had two top-10 finishers. Kendall was seventh (8.65) and Garrett eighth (8.575). Rickey finished 27th (7.25).
On floor exercise, Garrett also placed seventh (9.225). Poag was 24th (8.6) and Kendall 25th (8.4).
On beam, Kendall’s score fell slightly behind both New Castle’s Ella Garvin and Columbus East’s Taylen Lane, who both tied for fifth at 8.875.
On floor, Martinsville’s Lilliane Boyd was sixth with a score of 9.250, which just edged out Garrett from a potential state berth.
The top-three teams in addition to the top-six individuals in each event advanced to the state finals.
Franklin Central freshman Austyn Dykes won the all-around competition with a score of 38.200. She was first on floor (9.675), on beam (9.450), second on bars (9.475) and runner-up on vault (9.600). Dykes advanced as the top individual state-qualifying competitor.
Richmond junior Elizabeth Ruger was second in the all around (38.150). She won the vault competition (9.750), placed second on floor (9.650), finished runner-up on beam (9.350) and was third on bars (9.400).
Third-place in the all around went to Emily Moore of Columbus North with 37.075 points.
