BY DOMINIC BURNS
The Globe
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Worthington Trojans girls gymnastics team placed seventh in the 2019 state Class A tournament Friday with a team score of 140.475.
Detroit Lakes completed its five-peat aspirations, winning state for the fifth time in a row with a score of 152.2 at Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Sartell-Saint Stephen placed second with a 148.225, Mahtomedi was third with a 146.05, Willmar fourth with 145.850, Watertown-Mayer/Mound-Westonka fifth at 143.750, Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa sixth with 143.125, and Mankato West eighth with 137.725.
“We did awesome, everyone performed really well,” Worthington head coach Joni Reitmeier said. “I wish we could have stuck a few more beam routines, but overall our best performance was here.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Hali Bullerman paced the Trojans on the vault exercise, scoring a 9.325, Mekyla Nystrom scored 9.25, Gracia Elias scored 9.125, Kara Thuringer scored 8.9, and senior co-captain Autumn Drahota scored 8.8. The Trojans totaled a 36.6 on the vault.
The Trojans’ team total for the uneven parallel bars was 33.45. Bullerman, an Adrian gymnast, led the Trojans with an 8.425. Nystrom scored an 8.4, senior co-captain Taylor Eggers scored an 8.35, Elias scored an 8.275, and Thuringer scored a 7.8.
Worthington had a team total of 34.7 on the balance beam. Elias paced the Trojans with a 9.1, McKenna Prunty had 8.95, Bullerman 8.85, Thuringer 7.8, and Abby Bristow 7.75.
On the floor exercise Worthington had a team score of 35.725. Elias scored a 9.025, Prunty 8.975, Bristow 8.875, Thuringer 8.85, and Presley Eggers 8.825.
The Trojans graduate two seniors this year in co-captains Taylor Eggers and Drahota. Taylor has been in gymnastics for 10 years, starting in second grade.
“Today was very emotional,” Eggers said. “This team is probably the best in terms of encouragement, everyone has each other’s back.”
Eggers plans on attending Augustana University and hopes to become a physical therapist.
“It’s really sad, it just doesn’t feel like the end of gymnastics is real,” Drahota said. “I wasn’t really nervous, I knew we would do our best, and have fun.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Drahota plans on attending Minnesota West next year. Both Eggers and Drahota plan on helping out the gymnastics team next year.
“It's hard to see the seniors go, everyone on the team is a part of my family,” Reitmeier said. “Both are bright girls, but it takes a team effort to get here.”
Get there the Trojan gymnastics did, as all 28 gymnasts made the trip up to state to support the team.
Several Worthington gymnasts will also compete in the individual tournament today (Saturday, Feb. 23), beginning at 11 a.m. Elias will compete on floor, beam, vault, bars and all-around; Prunty on floor and beam; Bullerman on vault and bars; Nystrom on vault; Thuringer on vault; and Taylor Eggers on bars.
After that, the Trojans will take a well-deserved break until summer. For the first time in 22 years, the Trojans will be practicing in a building other than the armory. A bittersweet moment, yes, but practicing in an air-conditioned building being built on the west side of town should make things feel so much better.
