PREP GYMNASTICS: Worthington gymnasts score season high in win

PIPESTONE — The Worthington gymnastics team is saving its best for last.

As the season winds down, the Trojans had their top score Friday night in a Southwest Conference victory against Pipestone Area.

“We always talk about how we want to peak at the right moment and make sure that we keep climbing the mountain up to that peak and we’re definitely getting there,” WHS head coach Joni Reitmeier said. “The exciting part is that we didn’t have perfect routines. There are still a few tweaks here and there and extra little things that we could do better, so that’s really exciting going into our next meet.”

Worthington scored a season-high 133.975 Friday night, while the Arrows had a 131.

“That’s awesome,” Reitmeier said. “It’s our season high, which we kind of killed our other season high by almost five points. It was a very, very awesome meet. We were consistent all the way around. We started out on vault and had a lot of great vaults. We went to bars and just continued all the way through, having really strong routines.”

While the Trojans have struggled staying on the beam in past meets, that wasn’t an issue against the Arrows.

“I can finally say that the Trojans stayed on the balance beam and it totally paid off,” Reitmeier said. “We had a total of four falls on the varsity beam. It definitely shows in our score when you stay on the balance beam. The girls are super excited.”

Tara Svalland had another solid night for the Trojans, finishing first in three events and the all around.

She won the vault with a 9.2, the bars with an 8.375, the floor with a 9.175 and the all-around competition with a 34.925.

She also tied for third on the beam with an 8.175.

Sam Thuringer tied for second on the vault with a 9.0 for WHS. PA’s Shanda Bogstad also had a 9.0.

Arrow Amber Haupert tied Svalland for first on the bars with an 8.375, while Bogstad was third with an 8.275.

Genevieve Bern gave WHS a first-place finish on the beam with an 8.25, while teammate Anna Koepsell was second with an 8.225.

PA’s Maggie Perkins tied for third on the beam with an 8.175.

Trojans Paige Kinley and Koepsell tied for second on the floor with an 8.75.

Haupert was second in the all around with a 33.9, while Bogstad was third with a 32.775.

Worthington was also victorious in the junior varsity competition. The Trojans scored a 113.6, while PA had a 108.3.

Koepsell was first on the vault with an 8.25, while teammate Stephanie Jaycox was second with an 8.2. Haley Gravenhof was third with an 8.0 for WHS.

Gravenhof then won the bars with a 6.9, while Koepsell was third with a 6.3.

Ellen Dudley was second on the beam with a 6.9, while Kara Honius was third with a 6.4.

Gravenhof won the floor with an 8.3, while Jaycox was second with a 7.7 Bern was third with a 7.65.

PA’s Hailey Manderschied won the beam with a 7.0, while teammate Becky Keller was second on the bars with a 6.4.

Manderschied was second in the all around with a 28.6, while Nicole Scotting was third with a 26.15.

Gravenhof won the all around with a 29.1.

Worthington improves to 5-0 in the conference, setting up a showdown against Jackson County Central on Tuesday.

The meet, which will begin at 6 p.m. at the Armory in Worthington, will decide the conference champion.

“It’s going to be a big one,” Reitmeier said. “It’s going to be really exciting. I think the girls are really psyched up about it. Win or lose, we’ve had a really great season. I think they’re ready for the challenge. Jackson is a phenomenal gymnastics team and so are we. It’s going to be a good match up.”

Tags: pipestone area, sports, prep, gymnastics, trojans