State gymnastics: Jenna Schlosser earns 9.4 on beam to win all-around, Mead finishes third

 TACOMA – Jenna Schlosser made her final gymnastics meet a memorable one.

The senior from Mead, involved with gymnasts almost as long as she’s been able to walk, posted a career-best all-around score of 38.1 and won the 4A all-around title at the state gymnastics meet Friday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.

Mead placed third in the team standings with 171.2 points, trailing Woodinville (184.225) and Emerald Ridge (171.4). It was Woodinville’s second straight 4A championship and the school’s sixth in the past nine years. Its score was the fourth-best in state meet history.

Schlosser, second to Woodinville’s Marisa Savage last year in all-around, posted a 9.425 on beam, her final event, to pass Savage for this year’s title. Savage second finished with 37.925.

Schlosser’s goal all season has been to reach 38 points in all-around, a mark the former Level 9 club gymnast had never achieved. Heading to beam, she knew what had to be done.

“I thought, ‘OK, here we go. I need a 9.4 to get a 38,’ ” Schlosser recalled. “When I finished I thought, oh, it was good, but I didn’t know if it was 9.4-worthy. I thought I was going to get a 9.25. I felt a lot more wobbly than I actually was.

“Then I saw my score and thought, ‘A 9.4. Whoa! I got a 38! That’s crazy.’ ”

Mead coach Laurie Chadwick was happy for Schlosser.

“The goal as we progressed through the season has been to improve on all the little things, enough so she could score a 9.5 on every event and get 38 on all-around,” Chadwick said.

“When you get to the level of gymnastics where she is, those extra few tenths (of a point) are difficult to get,” she said.

Schlosser, 17, had a fast answer when asked if she would pursue gymnastics in college.

“No, sir,” she said. “I’ve done gymnastics for 15 years, and it’s time to be done.

“It’s really tough on your body, especially if you’ve been doing it for so long,” Schlosser said. “I’ve got chronic aches. I feel 50.”

Schlosser said she will focus on the triple jump this spring and then at Eastern Washington. She placed ninth at state in the event last year.

Schlosser qualified for all four events in Saturday’s individual championships. McKinzie Carter of Central Valley qualified for two events, tying Schlosser for second on beam (9.425) and tying for seventh on floor (9.325).

3A/2A: Kamiakin won its third title in five years with 174.65 points, topping Enumclaw (172.575) and Holy Names (168.825).

 Sammamish senior Nykaela Dodson won the all-around title (38.125 points). Jade Anderson of Mt. Spokane placed 10th (35.875) and teammate Regan Kampmann finished 16th (35.15). Anderson qualified to compete in Saturday’s individual championships on vault, bars and floor. Kampmann also qualified on floor. Anderson had the night’s fifth-best floor score (9.525).