BEA gymnasts compete at tournament
Buccaneer team does well in 4 routines at Fairmont LiveFit Gym
The Blue Earth Area gymnasts participated in a Martin County Magic-hosted tournament on Saturday, Jan. 6.
Of the five teams invited to compete at Fairmont’s LiveFit Gymnasium, the Austin Packers departed with the highest team score of 134.825. They were followed by host Martin County Area with a team score of 133.125.
The Waseca Bluejays’ score of 129.925 was good for third place, and Jackson County Central took fourth with a 125.9. The Bucs were in fifth place with a team score of 125.65.
Head coach Rachel Cole said she was pleased with the Bucs’ performance on floor.
“Floor went well,” Cole observed.. “The goal is to hit between 33 and 33.5 as a team, so we were just shy of that with a 32.825.”
Addison Armstrong led BEA on floor with a score of 8.825, followed by teammate Addy Olson’s 8.35. Kyannah Brandt’s routine earned a 7.9, Taylynn Amundson tallied a 7.75 and Lauren Survis scored a 7.35.
“I was happy with how we scored on vault as well,” Cole continued. As a team, the Bucs landed a 34.2 on the event.
Armstrong secured third place with her 8.95-scoring leap, while Olson earned an 8.7. Tailor Douglas scored an 8.45, Survis scored an 8.1 and Amundson scored a 7.9.
Cole said beam continues to be a challenging event for BEA. The team left Saturday’s meet with a score of 27.775.
“Beam tripped us up again, unfortunately,” Cole explained. “We counted seven falls as a team, which is 3.5 points, and this has been our biggest struggle of the season.”
Armstrong pulled an 8.25, while Douglas’s routine was good for a 7.225. Olson tallied a 7.0, and Survis scored a 5.3. Rachel Sohn’s routine earned a 5.225.
However, the Bucs had a successful evening on the bars.
“We had one of our best meets on bars with a 30.85 as a team,” Cole said. “Natalie (Griffey) competed on a new skill called a back uprise on bars, which helped her get her personal best.”
She added, “Lauren, Addy and Addison also competed with upgraded routines, and Tailor scored her personal best as well, and made it over the 8.0 mark, which is a tough thing to do on bars.”
Griffey’s new routine earned a 7.35. Meanwhile, Armstrong’s upgraded routine garnered an 8.15. Douglas earned an 8.025, Olson earned a 7.325, and Survis earned a 7.025.
In the all around, Armstrong’s performance at the meet added up to a 34.175. Olson earned a 31.375 in the all around, and Survis scored a 27.775.
“We are still inching close to our high score of the season even though we had another tough break on beam,” Cole concluded. “I’m hoping we can gain some confidence there over the next couple of meets so that we are able to peak come Sections in February.”
The Bucs’ upcoming meets include a home meet against St. Peter on Thursday, Jan. 11. They will also travel to compete against St. James Area on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
Look for the results in an upcoming issue of the Faribault County Register.