A streak of seven straight regional titles came to an end for the Columbus North gymnastics team Saturday at the Columbus East Regional.
While it was disappointing for the Bull Dogs that they didn’t capture their eighth straight title, they placed second as a team and will be advancing to the state finals at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie on Saturday.
Richmond was first with a score of 107.75. North finished with a 106.725, and Martinsville claimed the third and final team-qualifying spot with a 105.475.
“At the end of the day, our end goal is to make it to state, so we’re still on track with our goal,” North coach Betsy Warble said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win regional, but we had some highlights today. With every highlight, there are low points, and we had those, as well, today.”
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North’s top gymnast, Emily Moore, had her up and downs Saturday. Moore finished third in the all-around (37.075), first on the bars (9.55), third on the vault (9.525), fourth on the beam (9.0) and had a stumble toward the end of her floor routine to finish 14th with 9.0.
“Every event was a little different. (Moore) had a great bar set. She did have her warmup and was a little frustrated, but she was able to come back and persevere from that,” Warble said. “Beam is just a question mark. We thought she had a really great beam set, but what we see as coaches does not matter; it matters with the judges and what they see. On floor, unfortunately, she took a fall and that fall is five-tenths, plus whatever little deductions, so the fall alone would have put her in third. Other little deductions came as a result of the fall, or other things would have put her in that first or second spot.”
Franklin Central’s Austyn Dykes won the all-around with a 38.2. She also won the beam (9.45) and floor (9.675). Elizabeth Ruger of Richmond won the vault (9.75) and was second in the all-around (38.15).
The big head scratcher of Moore’s score came on the beam, where she didn’t have a fall, and most of the routine was pretty clean to possibly warrant a higher score.
“The area where we disagreed on (with the judges) was not an area we could inquire on,” Warble said. “We have pretty strict rules on how we can approach the judges and inquire with them, and unfortunately, it was not something that we can challenge or inquire.”
Columbus East seniors Taylen Lane and Elise LaSell competed in one event as individuals on the beam and the floor, respectively.
Lane, who was the final competitor on the beam Saturday, finished in a tie for fifth place with a score 8.875 to punch her ticket to the state finals.
Lane, who was out for the entire regular season after sustaining a concussion in the preseason, is excited for opportunity to compete at state one final time.
“I’m really excited, especially due to the injury, with this being only my second meet back,” Lane said. “I’m really excited, too, for beam because that’s always been one of my favorite events, so I’m glad to be able to continue on with that.”
LaSell’s score of 8.825 on the floor was not enough to advance to state. She tied for 18th, and only the top six move on.
“(Lane’s) been in the past couple of weeks just trying to get through that concussion, and that injury took a long time, and it took a lot out of her this season,” East co-coach Katie Menefee said. “For her to finish her season with going to state, I think that’s pretty cool for her.
“(LaSell) has been a great leader, a great role model for our other gymnasts,” she added. “She’s been trying new skills and had excitement to put in new skills, so I think she finished off with a really good routine.”
For North, Madi Edwards finished eighth in the all-around (34.750). Lindsey Mullis was 13th (34.1) and Abby Jacobi was 14th (33.9).
Edwards tied for 14th on the vault (8.95), 13th on the bars (8.325), 18th on the beam (8.15) and fifth on the floor (9.325). Mullis was 24th on the vault (8.55), tied for fourth on the bars (9.1), 23rd on the beam (7.775) and tied for 21st on the floor (8.675). Jacobi tied for 19th on the vault (8.7), tied for 17th on the bars (8.125), 14th on the beam (8.15) and 23rd on the floor (8.65).
