Area teams, individuals poised for state gymnastics meets

State gymnastics has expanded a day to accommodate an expanded 4A tournament.

That means the 3A/2A/1A meet begins Thursday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall and will decide the team championship and all around title. It concludes Friday with the individual events.

The 4A meet overlaps with the 3A/2A/1A meet on Friday. The 4A teams will will decide the team championship and all around title and come back on Saturday to determine individual titles.

University captured the lone 4A team berth from the region. Mt. Spokane took fourth at its regional and qualified for the first time under the third-year coach Dana Hunt. Her team captured or shared the Greater Spokane League title for a third straight year.

Mt. Spokane’s Reigan Kampmann took fifth last year in vault and is expected to be in the medals again.

U-Hi edged out Mead for the 4A regional title. Coach Tracy Duncan has had two other teams place fourth at state.

“This is the best team I’ve ever had in 13 years coaching at U-Hi,” Duncan said. “Every event (at regionals) was the highest score for U-Hi all season. They were so relaxed. They get the team concept. If one fails on an event the others have to pick it up. This is the first team I’ve had that really gets that concept.”

Zella Conley of Mead and Jessica Harpel of Ferris finished first and second in all-around at regionals and will challenge for medals at state. They also will contend for medals in the individual events.

Conley battled through injuries last year to finish fourth in floor and seventh in bars.