Wawasee’s Emma Ebright navigates her first-ever beam performance Thursday night against Fort Wayne Carroll. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – Wawasee hosted its first gymnastics dual meet of the season, and already the talking points are aplenty.

Fort Wayne Carroll, a perennial state champion contender, visited Syracuse Thursday night. But rather than its customary lopsided win, the Chargers struggled to clear 100 points with a 100.675. Wawasee, with a roster chock full of new blood and unsteadiness, also struggled to score points with a 93.775 in its first home show.

It was a night of eye openers for both sides. Carroll opened the night on bars and started slow, with just one score above an eight, that an 8.1 from Cameron Peete. Its next rotation, vault, saw just one Charger clear a nine, that a 9.2 from McKinley Carroll in an event the Chargers historically have been very solid. It’s ace, Ella Smith, even had her second go on the horse end prone on her back failing to land the skill.

Wawasee’s Talia Kuhl elevates off the vault Thursday night.

On the opposite end, Wawasee had its three freshmen, two sophomores and brand new junior by and large performing in front of a home crowd for the first time. Talia Kuhl, a sophomore who missed most of her freshman year, showed tremendous potential in her vaults, scoring 8.85 to finish second to McKinley Carroll. Right behind Kuhl on vault was Wawasee’s lone major returner, senior Aundreya Wegener, who scored an 8.8.

Wawasee’s bars, however, wasn’t as solid, Wegener scoring a 7.33, then falling to a 5.3 from Kuhl. That would leave Peete’s 8.1 as the top bars score of the meet.

“I thought maybe the girls would be a little bit calmer than they were, but obviously they were really nervous,” said Wawasee head coach Nika Prather of her squad. “You’d think I’d be a better judge of that after all these years. Those bars scores, ouch. I’m just glad the first one is out of the way.

“We have a ton of improving to do.”

Carroll and Smith would go one-two on beam at 9.1 and 9.0, with Wegener taking third at 8.9, the Wawasee performance a no-fall that had Wegener beaming with pride after connecting early on in her routine. Wegener, however, would find herself closing the meet in style with the top score on floor, 9.3, to cap a 34.3 all-around figure. While not a whopping total by any means, the all-around win by Wegener was the first, per Prather, of a Wawasee athlete over Carroll in at least 15 years.

“Aundreya, she had a great meet,” Prather added. “She came out and won floor, then took all-around against Fort Wayne Carroll, that’s an all-timer. That hardly ever happens. That’s awesome. We’ve had girls win events, but not the all-around. That’s exciting to know that not only can she place against a team like Carroll, but beat them. If we see them again in a regional setting, that certainly at least puts her in the conversation.”

Wawasee’s jitters were prevalent elsewhere, as many of its newcomers were getting used to the show. Freshman Olivia Ousley was fourth overall on both vault (8.4) and floor (8.4) and junior Emma Ebright posted a 7.85 on floor and competed on beam for the first time in her career. Sophomore Kenady Meerzo was active in three varsity performances and the duo of Layla Scott and Trinity LaJoice, both freshmen, competed in JV events.

Carroll, which came into the night with multiple athletes bandaged up and limited, had just Smith perform all-around, the senior posting a 33.9 to finish runner-up to Wegener. Kuhl had a 30.2 all-around for the Warriors.

Wawasee (0-1) gets back on the home equipment Tuesday in hosting Angola.