Ferris And Larsen Hit Their Marks
GSL gymnastics
Ferris High gymnastics coach Bill Christianson did some analyzing after the Saxons’ last meet and determined his team could score 174 points in its next one.
He was just about perfect.
Ferris (13-1) scored 174.10 in a four-way Greater Spokane League meet Thursday night at Central Valley to defeat the host Bears, probably for the league title.
CV (11-2) scored 172.30. Rogers (2-12) and Lewis and Clark (1-12) finished third and fourth, respectively, with 129.55 and 123.10 points.
Ferris senior Gail Larsen defeated CV’s Emily Roberts for the first time in three tries in the all-around competition. Larsen won every event on the way to a 37.25 score, which Christianson believes is the best score by a Ferris gymnast in 20 years. Her previous best this season had been 35.55.
“She had the meet we’ve been waiting for,” Christianson said. “She changed her vault this week.”
Larsen scored a 9.25 on the vault, a 9.50 on both the beam and bars, and a 9.0 in the floor exercise.
“I’m really happy,” Larsen said. “The team was just magic tonight. Everything was working. We got it together and kept it going strong.”
Roberts scored 35.80 points and was struggling noticeably because of a sprained right ankle she suffered during warmups.
Going into their final meeting Thursday, CV and Ferris were 1-1 head-to-head. The Saxons haven’t won the league title since 1980.
“My kids didn’t seem on tonight at all,” said CV coach Kim Brunelle. “It didn’t seem to be pressure. I don’t know what it was.”
The difference was the beam, she said, in which Ferris scored 45.00 to CV’s 43.75.
Both coaches believe it will take 175 team points to win the regional meet for the lone berth to the State 4A meet.
In a meet at Mead, the host Panthers edged University 160.90 to 159.15. Shadle Park (154.85), North Central (147.6) and Mt. Spokane (143.3) also competed.
NC sophomore Amber Baines won the bars and was third on the beam on the way to 34.30 points and the all-around victory. U-Hi’s Alisa Brandle was second with 34.10 points after winning the vault and taking third on the floor.
Mead’s Marki Stewart and Miranda Reser were third and fourth, respectively, in the all around.