New Palestine’s Lynzie Stiller is shown competing on the parallel bars during a February meet. The sophomore qualified for the state finals for the second straight year.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
INDIANAPOLIS — New Palestine sophomore Lynzie Stiller finished in sixth place in the all-around competition at Friday’s Franklin Central Regional and qualified for this Saturday’s IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals at Ball State University’s Worthen Arena in Muncie.
The top six place winners in each event and all-around competition advanced along with the top three teams.
New Palestine qualified for the regional by winning the team competition at the Connersville Sectional on Feb. 24.
At Franklin Central, the Dragons finished one spot out of moving on to the state finals for the second straight year.
Columbus North won the event with a score of 107.775. Bloomington North was second with 107.575 and Bloomington South earned the third qualifying spot with a score of 103.425.
New Palestine had a score of 101.3, finishing ahead of Connersville (97.75) and New Castle (97.15).
The Dragons’ best score of the night came on floor exercise with a total of 27.45. They scored 25.95 on vault, 24.125 on balance beam and 23.775 on uneven bars.
Stiller finished sixth in the all-around with a score of 35.250. Franklin Central’s Austyn Dykes won the all-around with a score of 37.75.
Stiller tied for seventh on vault (8.9), tied for eighth on floor (9.45), and finished ninth on beam (8.6) and bars (8.3).
Olivia Frank finished 10th in the all-around competition (33.475) and was close to qualifying for state on floor exercise.
Another criteria of advancement is to receive the score of the sixth place gymnast at the previous state finals meet.
Last year’s sixth-place finisher on floor exercise scored 9.325. Frank placed 10th on Friday with a score of 9.225.
Also on floor, Chiara Polo finished tied for 19th with a score of 8.775. Reagan Seal was 29th with a 7.6.
Following Stiller on vault, Polo (8.55) and Frank (8.5) were 19th and 20th, respectively. Rebecca Johnson placed 29th (8.2).
Additionally on the beam, Johnson was 20th (7.775), Frank 21st (7.75) and Seal 26th (7.6).
Other bars scores were, Frank 13th (8.0), Polo 21st (7.475) and Johnson 27th (6.775).
Individual event winners included, Columbus North’s Reese Euler on vault (9.45) and bars (9.575), Bloomington North’s Jessica Floyd on floor (9.825) and Dykes on beam (9.75).
State finals competition begins at 11:30 a.m., Saturday. Arena doors open at 10 a.m., with the opening ceremonies starting at 11 a.m.
At last year’s state finals, Stiller competed in three of four events. She was 18th on floor (9.025), 22nd on bars (8.325) and 40th on vault (8.7).
