Elkhart Central finished second as a team at the Huntington North Gymnastics Regional, earning a berth at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals next weekend. (Photos by Mike Deak)

HUNTINGTON – Wawasee couldn’t get its engine going while Elkhart Central hummed along with a purpose Saturday. The Lady Warriors slogged its way through the Huntington Gymnastics Regional, finishing sixth, while Central elevated to second in the standings to claim a state berth next week at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals.

Wawasee started off a little sluggishly and never really recovered. Beginning the regional on its lowest-scoring apparatus of the season, bars, Wawasee scored a modest 25.35 points on its first rotation. Life on the beam got much worse, however, littered with falls and wobbles, leaving the Warrior coaching staff stone frozen. A horrifying 23.00 on the beam from its top three outputs left Wawasee well behind in events it desperately needed to steal points.

Sitting with just 48.35 points at the turn, Wawasee was not only 7.45 points behind eventual champion Fort Wayne Dwenger, but over three points behind Elkhart Central, which sat in fifth place after two events.

Wawasee’s Jada Parzygnot whips through the uneven bars at the Huntington North Gymnastics Regional.

“Honestly, I was pleased with bars, but beam is still a mystery,” said Wawasee head coach Nika Prather. “Alyssa’s (Minnix) bar routine was great, and Jada did really well. We put the skills in there and they tried them and hit. The beam, it took the wind out of our sails, man. Oh my gosh. I don’t even know what to say about it.”

Not able to generate any momentum on its cornerstone floor and vault routines, Wawasee wrapped up its 2016 season in sixth place with 99.90 points, over six points back of third-place Homestead’s state-bound output of 106.25 points. The daze of the overall performance left the veteran coach stunned.

Dwenger won the title at 111.40, with Elkhart Central second at 106.35 with Homestead a tenth back. DeKalb was fourth at 104.925 and Fort Wayne Carroll was fifth at 104.60.

“We just didn’t look that hungry for whatever reason,” Prather said of the feel of the meet. “I think going into vault, the girls had had enough. We encouraged them to finish strong, but sometimes you just see the writing on the wall. They put together some good vaults, but we were so far behind at that point.”

Jada Parzygnot wound up having the top day for Wawasee, scoring a 34.05 in all-around. Parzygnot finished as high as 12th on bars with an 8.75, but had Wawasee’s top beam score at 8.15, landing in 20th place. The freshman was 20th on floor (8.6) and 23rd on vault (8.55).

Reagan Atwood of Wawasee sails on a tumbling pass during her floor routine.

Reagan Atwood led Wawasee on vault (14, 8.85) and floor (14, 8.875) and scored 8.425 on bars and 7.675 on beam. Her all-around tally of 33.825 was one of her lowest of the season.

Ashleigh Frecker closed out her career at Wawasee scoring 8.65 on vault, which became her signature event. Minnix also recorded her top score on vault with an 8.55. Haleigh Smarr was Wawasee’s other competitor on bars at 6.875.

Central will compete in the state finals as a team after missing the finals last year in a fourth-place regional finish. The Blazers rallied from a fifth-place spot at the turn, though only down .70 to second-place Homestead, with a huge return on floor and vault.

Scoring 27.275 on floor, led by Skiler Reveal’s 9.25, and then finishing with a 27.15 on vault, punctuated with Abi Downs’ 9.35, third-place hammer on her first attempt, sent the Blazers through to the finals.

Downs was fifth on bars at 9.025 and Rylee Damewood was seventh on floor at 9.1 to boost the Chargers. Downs was fifth overall in the meet with a 36.00 all-around and Kiara Stabler was sixth in all-around at 35.35. Reveal finished with a 34.7 all-around tally.

“It was definitely a grind,” said Elkhart Central head coach Kathy Krauter. “It was a grind from the minute we walked in to the very last vault. I think every team here was in the same boat.

“Just the fact that they got to this level, and they will have a taste of state. We want to aim for the top six and see what happens. If anything, it’s a taste of the state finals for all these young kids. They get to cap the season at a state finals and shows them what is to come of all the hard work.”

The only other Wawasee Sectional competitors to qualify for state were DeKalb’s Caitlin Marlow, who was fourth on beam at 9.475 and New Prairie’s Alexandra Palmer, who won beam with a 9.675.

Fort Wayne Dwenger, Elkhart Central and Homestead will compete next Saturday at Worthen Arena on the campus of Ball State University in the state finals, with teams from the Columbus East and Valparaiso regionals also feeding to state.

Elkhart Central’s Abi Downs completes her first vault pass during the Huntington North Gymnastics Regional.