Mead holds off Mt. Spokane in four-way meet

The official Greater Spokane League title must wait a few days, but Mead’s gymnastics team passed its greatest test on Thursday night.

The Panthers used their dominance on the uneven bars to hold off host Mt. Spokane during a four-way league meet at the Mead Gymnastics Center.

Mead outscored the Wildcats by three points on the bars and finished with 172.8 points, or 1.7 points more than its district rivals.

“We had to beat (the Wildcats) on bars and at least stay even with them on beam and vault,” Mead coach Laurie Chadwick said after a meet that also included strong performances from Central Valley (167.025 points) and University (163.325).

Mead has won the last two league titles and seven of the last nine. The Panthers are done with Mt. Spokane but must meet CV again when 4A teams gather Wednesday at the Mead Gymnastics Center for a district meet that also serves as the league finale. Mt. Spokane and other 3A teams compete Thursday in the same circumstances at the same site.

“Next week we go against CV and they’re definitely talented enough to beat us, so we have to have a decent meet,” Chadwick said. … “But we’re in good position to become league champions.”

Junior Jenna Schlosser, in her first season with the Panthers, scored her high-school best 37.725 to win the all-around.

Schlosser won the vault (9.45), balance beam (9.3) and bars (9.375), and scored 9.6 to finish second to Mt. Spokane senior Amara Poquette (9.65) in the floor exercise.

“The highlight was probably vault, because I made both (landings),” Schlosser said. “That’s not normal.”

Mead finished on the beam while Mt. Spokane piled up big points on the floor. For the Wildcats, Brooke Fraser scored 9.45, good for fifth place, and Jade Anderson followed with a 9.55 that tied for third before Poquette energized the crowd with her winning routine.

Schlosser capped the night with her first-place effort on the beam.

“The kids who are my last three up on beam are my most experienced competitors and they nailed it, so that carried us through,” Chadwick said.

Poquette placed second in the all-around with a 36.0. CV sophomore McKinzie Carter (35.375), U-Hi junior Shantel Singh (35.225) and Mt. Spokane freshman Reigan Kampmann (34.925) rounded out the top five.