Since this was a conference meet, the gymnasts were trying to place in the top five in order to earn points, which are tallied at the end of the season to determine the WCC gymnastics team.
Lori Thomes started the team off on the right foot on bars. She had a nice routine that scored a 7.35 to earn her fifth place. Krysta Larson had a personal best score of 7.55 that captured fourth place. Sara Spanier swung her way into third place with a score of 7.7. Camille Flanders also had a personal best bar score of 7.9, which earned her second place. Maria Wegner led the team on bars, capturing first place with a smooth routine that earned her an 8.2.
In each of the final three events, the two teams scored within two points of one another. The closest of the three remaining events was vault. There, the Paynesville gymnasts outscored LPGE by a mere .55 of a point. Larson had nice flight during her vault, which earned her a 7.9 and fourth place. Wegner stuck the landing of her vault to earn third place, scoring a 7.95. Spanier had a personal best score of 8.85 to vault into first place.
The Paynesville gymnasts stayed on the balance beam, which contributed to their success on the apparatus. It is usually the beam that will make or break a team’s victory, because for each fall on or off of the piece of equipment there is an automatic .5 deduction from the gymnast’s score. When trying to do skills perfectly on a four-inch wide piece of wood four feet in the air, falling can be a matter of being off by fractions of an inch.
Spanier and Larson each had a no fall routine, earning them first and second (tie) places respectfully. Wegner also placed in the top five.
The Paynesville gymnasts had more difficulty and better execution than the LPGE gymnasts. This helped Paynesville to outscore LPGE 28.8-26.7. Spanier, Larson, and Wegner placed first, third, and fourth, respectively.
After every meet, there is a Gymnast of the Meet award given out by the Paynesville coaches to gymnasts who performed a new skill, did something out of the ordinary, or for something that they did exceptionally well.
The following people received an award for the LPGE meet: Larson for nice and tight tumbling and dance during her floor routine, no fall beam routine, and personal best score on bars; Jen Moser for nice back walk overs on beam and 1/4-3/4 vault; Spanier for a no fall beam routine, nice dismount combination off of the beam, nice bar routine, and a personal best vault score; Wegner for a nice dismount combination off of beam and a nice bar routine; and Flanders for a personal best score on bars.
The gymnastics team’s next meet is on Friday, Dec. 13, at home against Litchfield. The junior varsity starts at 6:30 p.m. The varsity begins competition following the completion of the J.V. meet.
Junior Varsity
The junior varsity also defeated LPGE with a final score of 73.5-62.6, pulling ahead on bars by four points and floor by three points. Execution during floor routines and staying on the beam contributed to their success.
Michelle Wolbeck and Jenni Mayer placed in the vault competition. Wolbeck’s 6.7 earned her third place. Mayer had a 6.6 for fourth. Both gymnasts performed tight handspring vaults.
Paynesville captured four of the top five places on bars. Joy Hemmesch won the event with a 5.0. Carrie Nistler placed second with a 3.9. Jen Moser scored a 3.6 for third place and Wolbeck placed fourth with a 3.2.
On the beam, Wolbeck and Amanda Reeck tied for third. Each scored a 4.0. Hemmesch won the event with a score of 5.0.
Seventh grader Kelli Fenske won the floor competition with a score of 4.1. Mayer placed fourth, scoring a 3.9. All of Paynesville’s gymnasts on floor did an excellent job.
Gymnasts of the meet for the junior varsity team are: Fenske for doing a back handspring during her floor routine; Mandi Granzow for a no fall beam routine; Wolbeck for a no fall beam routine, a two foot take off mount without using her hands and a nice vault; Hemmesch for a no handed half-turn mount onto the beam and a jump-up, half turn, long hang kip sequence in her bar routine; Reeck for a lightly spotted fly-away off of the bars; Rachel Koehn for a fly-away with no spot off of bars; Nistler for her new bars skills -- a sole circle regrasp, jump-up, and fly-away; Mayer for a nice vault; and Amy Mueller for a nice vault.
Paynesville: 119.65
LPGE: 109.25
Vault
Tracy Miller: 6:50
Krysta Larson: 7.90
Maria Wegner: 7.95
Sara Spanier: 8.85
PHS Total: 31.20
LPGE Total:30.65
Balance Beam:
Jen Moser: 6.10
Wegner: 7.00
Larson: 7.55
Spanier 7.75
PHS Total: 28.30
LPGE Total: 26.25
Floor:
Joy Hemmesch: 6.30
Wegner: 6.70
Larson: 7.40
Spanier: 8.40
PHS Total: 28.80
LPGE Total: 26.70
Uneven Bars:
Larson: 7.55
Spanier: 7.70
Camille Flanders: 7.90
Wegner: 8.20
PHS Total:31.35
LPGE Total:25.65
All Around:
Wegner: 29.85
Larson:30.30
Spanier: 32.45