Cv’S Bound For State Ferris Joins Bears’ Regional Champs

The Central Valley gymnastics team has felt cheated in recent seasons.

The Bears have been good, but not quite good enough.

Before this year, only the region’s top team has advanced to the state meet, and that hasn’t been CV.

So when the Bears won the team title Saturday in the Region IV 4A meet before their home crowd, it was an end to the frustration. They earned the top berth to the State 4A meet Friday and Saturday in Tacoma, and will be joined by second-place Ferris.

Also advancing are the top three all-around competitors and the top nine individuals in each event who are not from the qualifying teams.

Fourth-ranked CV scored 172.70 points and Ferris had 164.95. But the Bears were not as sharp Saturday as they were in the district meet Feb. 4, when they scored a season-best 175.15. Coach Kim Brunelle says that just gives her plenty to work on this week.

Though the scores were lower, that didn’t take away from CV’s excitement about making it to state.

“We knew we had the potential to go to state,” said senior Emily Roberts. “But our focus (all season) was not on going to state. Our focus was on taking the steps to get there. We know from the last two years that it doesn’t just come. And we wanted to work as hard as we could to get there because of how close we’d come the last two years.”

CV sophomore April Mims won the all-around competition with a 36.0 and Roberts finished third with a 35.45.

Mims fell off the balance beam and stepped out of bounds during her floor exercise routine. She won the uneven bars.

“I was more nervous than I usually am,” she said. “I just had a few mental blocks today.”

North Central’s Amber Baines broke her own school record with a personal-best 9.4 on floor to place second all-around and qualify for state.

The day’s biggest drama was for the second team berth. Defending regional champion Ferris was in fourth place after two rotations and in third going into the final round.

After a disappointing showing on the balance beam - every gymnast fell at least once - the Saxons scored a 44.95 on the floor to edge third-place University (161.50).

Alix Herr and Jennifer Miller each scored a 9.15 on floor for Ferris and freshman Heather Malott earned a 9.05.

“It was pretty devastating on the beam,” Herr said. “We felt we really needed to pick up the pace and we really did.”

Baines performed her winning floor routine right after the Saxons, and the CV cleanup crew was starting to tear down the bars equipment while she competed. She said she didn’t notice.

“It’s great,” Baines said. “I didn’t think I’d make it through. I didn’t feel good. I thought I would stop breathing.”

Southridge sophomore Kristin Coulter, one of the all-around favorites, placed fourth. She was undefeated in all-around competitions coming into the meet.

U-Hi’s Marci Hulbert scored a 9.1 to win the vault.

For Brunelle and CV, Saturday spelled relief.

“It’s about time,” Brunelle said of going to state. “It’s well-deserved and hard-fought. I’m totally excited.”