State Trip In The Cards? [VIDEO]
SYRACUSE – It wasn’t the big, bold check mark. But it was still a fine-tipped Sharpie that circled ‘advance from sectional’ for the Wawasee gymnastics program. With the sectional round out of the way, the Lady Warriors are now focused forward on the Huntington Regional with a newfound optimism in its second season.
Wawasee head coach Nika Prather and her band of (mostly) merry underclassmen really wanted to claim its first sectional title since 2004. Falling just 1.0 points from that goal, Elkhart Central claimed the team title but Wawasee still advanced to a regional as a team for the first time since 2009. The point total Wawasee posted, 105.375, was its highest output of the year, but shows it can keep up with and contend with at least the Jones’ neighbors this weekend in Huntington.
“This is new for us, not having to go to Valpo and get crushed,” said Prather. “We have a legitimate shot to take one of the team spots. We are just going to continue to work on what we need to work on. There are some things to clean up, but we know we have the talent now to compete. It is going to take our best meet, but that’s what you want your kids scoring at this time of the year.”
Two years ago, there would be no hope at regional as Wawasee’s contingent had to travel to Valparaiso and contend with the region, which featured the best of the best in gymnastics talent. Now, Wawasee, Central and third-place DeKalb head south to Huntington to deal with Fort Wayne area qualifiers. Third-place Fort Wayne Carroll scored 107.125 points at the Concordia sectional, which is within sight. Fort Wayne Dwenger posted one of the top scores in the state with its 113.200, but Homestead was at 108.425. Again, doable. Just needing to be within the top three teams, a state ticket is not out of the question.
Team tickets, ironically for Wawasee, might be easier than individual tickets. With the same guidelines as sectionals in play, the top six individuals and top three teams make the state finals March 12 at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State. But the talent coming from Fort Wayne frontlining events will make it hard to slide individuals out.
Wawasee is headlined by Reagan Atwood and Jada Parzygnot, to which Parzygnot won the beam (9.175) and Atwood claimed the floor (9.5), with Parzygnot second at 9.3 on floor at Saturday’s Wawasee Sectional. The two floor scores were the highest marks of any event at the Wawasee Sectional. The two girls were within the top four of the all-around, Atwood the runner-up at 35.875.
But those scores will be tested away from the comforts of the Wawasee annex and the home equipment and largely local judges.
Dwenger, ranked No. 5 as a team in the state, features a powerful top-five set of performers, led by Maria Trahin and Grace Gillig. Also among the contenders are Amy Weilbaker, Elaine Cornewell and Sophia Wright-Turflinger, giving Dwenger the flexibility to pick and choose the hot hands. Count on Trahin and Cornewell to represent at least half Dwenger’s all-around power, Trahin posting a 37.625 to win the all-around crown.
Savannah Shearer and Jillian Hoffmann will lead Carroll, which bested Wawasee head-to-head in January in Fort Wayne. Homestead had a trio of studs in Catherine Milne, Olivia Cronenwett and Yana Weir, both Milne and Weir are just freshmen.
While not with her team this weekend, Concordia’s E’Lycia Early has the numbers to make a state appearance. Early scored a 9.0 or higher on all four events, and Northrop’s Lauren Wagner rang up a 36.00 in all-around, yet another primed to grab a state individual ticket.
Elkhart Central will have a healthy say in the matter with its trio of Abi Downs, Kiara Stabler and Skiler Reveal ready to go. Stabler won the all-around at Wawasee with a 36.00 and Reveal had huge performances on floor and beam to boost Central’s output. Downs, just a freshman, showed some nerves but has routinely been at the top of the Central scoresheet all season.
DeKalb quietly put together a solid day, led by Caitlin Morrow and Grace Gorman.
The Huntington North Regional will begin at noon Saturday, March 5. The change in days from the customary Friday to Saturday was to accommodate the Class 4-A boys basketball tournament hosted by Huntington Friday night.