Titans Have Superstitions Covered University Hopes Fate Decrees A Top Finish At State Gymnastics

University has prepared extensively for its fifth consecutive state gymnastics meet, right down to special fingernail polish and signs to kiss.

U-Hi doesn’t need superstitious rituals to succeed, but since they worked well at last weekend’s regional meet, why change now?

“We’ll eat at the Red Robin before the meet,” said Titans senior Coleen Pierce, who is making her fourth consecutive trip to two-day event at the Tacoma Dome.

The Titans ate at the Red Robin in Kennewick before dominating last Saturday’s meet at Southridge High.

“We had our sign (at regional) that said, ‘Beam is your friend,”’ said Tara Hulbert, a U-Hi senior who has competed at state the last two years. “We all had to kiss it.”

Add sparkling fingernail polish and fancy, personal water bottles and the Titans have every base covered.

U-Hi, ranked fourth in the final state coaches poll, was the lone team to advance from Region IV to state. The rest of the four-team state field includes top-ranked Sehome, third-ranked Inglemoor and fifth-ranked Puyallup.

U-Hi finished behind Sehome and Inglemoor at last month’s Sehome Invitational. Sehome, of Bellingham, has won 20 of the last 24 state championships.

“I’d like to place third or better,” said Titans coach Stacey Heaton, whose team’s best state placing is a fourth. “But to be one of the four, that’s pretty dang good.”

U-Hi’s other big focus during this week’s practice was qualifying individuals for Saturday’s finals.

Pierce, the regional balance beam champion, said she’s waited three years to show her best effort at state. As of Tuesday, Pierce was hobbled, having hurt her left foot on the vault at region.

Hulbert made the state finals in the uneven bars and floor exercise last year. She’s riding high after winning the bars and vault at region, and finishing .05 behind Central Valley sophomore Emily Roberts for the all-around title.

“The vault has been weird for me this year, but I hit it at region,” Hulbert said.

“It was a thing of beauty,” Heaton added. “I was flabbergasted.”

Alisa Brandle, Vanessa Cordova, Allison Ruttler, Kelly Roberts, Meagan Pierce and Kristine McCormick round out U-Hi’s state contingent.

Senior Lindsay Linerud, who qualified for her fourth consecutive state meet, will join Emily Roberts as the participants from district-champion CV.

Ferris sends a solid group, headed by regional floor champ Kacey Frederickson, a senior. Other qualifying Saxons are Kimberly George, Filicity Frederick, Nicky Lafferty and Colleen Early.

North Central sends Amber Baines and Heidi McCullough to state. NC coach Bob Litton, president of the state coaches association, has his two-year term end after the meet.

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