Dinsmore Places Second

Katie Dinsmore made sure the state high school gymnastics meet ended with a bang Saturday afternoon.

The Lakeside sophomore had the best vault score of the day in the individual event competition.

Her score of 9.825 kept her in second place in the 3A/2A finals but wasn’t quite enough for her to defend her state title. Alicia Ceccacci of Columbia River had a 9.825 on Friday and followed with a 9.775 Saturday for a better two-day total.

Saturday’s competition was for the top 10 in the four individual events, determined by Friday’s competition.

Dinsmore, who finished second in the all-around on Friday, placed in all four individual events. She was third on the beam and floor exercises and fifth on bars.

April Mims of Central Valley, fifth in the 4A all-around, placed in three individual events. She was third on bars, eighth on floor and ninth in vault.

Teammate Emily Roberts was ninth in floor exercises and Amber Baines of North Central was 10th.

Overlooked on Friday was Kolbie Pearsall of Lewis and Clark, who finished seventh on the beam.

Sehome won its 24th team title on Friday, and third in a row. Newport of Bellevue has won both 3A/2A titles since the state meet was split two years ago and has five state titles overall. Kent-Meridian’s title in 1986 was the only one not won by this year’s two champs since the WIAA sanctioned gymnastics in 1974.

Prior to the WIAA, there were five invitational tournaments where the winner was recognized as the state champion. Shadle Park won in 1970, and Inglemoor in 1969, ‘71 and ‘72. Sehome took the last one in 1973, the first of its 13 straight state titles.

Homecoming for Orth

First-year Royal City wrestling coach Ben Orth returned to the scene of his earlier successes.

Orth was a three-time state placer while at Lakeside High and eventually a national NAIA placer as a collegian at Central Washington University.

He brought 11 Knights to Mat Classic and they placed fifth in the State A/B tournament.

“I thoroughly enjoy it,” said Orth, “and a neat transition. You chase your dream, then you help kids chase their dream.”

Orth admits he borrowed his style from Lakeside coach Scott Jones.

“His style is intense and fun,” said Orth. “I emulate him, basically.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: WEIGHTY MATTER Will run for medal

Freeman’s seventh-place 135-pound A/B finisher Chris Fulkerson had a logical reason for not wrestling well in his first consolation match on Saturday. “I was a little bit tired,” he said. “I had to run for an hour and a half before.”

Fulkerson was 5.8 pounds overweight and spent the morning running off 2.2 pounds so he would be eligible to continue in the tournament.

He made weight, won his final match by pin and earned his first medal in three Mat Classic tries.