There was a whole lot of hugging happening for the Park High gymnasts Friday.
Any why not. Seniors Ashley Davis and Makayla Bollman are headed to state and led the Wolfpack to a top three finish …
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There was a whole lot of hugging happening for the Park High gymnasts Friday.
Any why not. Seniors Ashley Davis and Makayla Bollman are headed to state and led the Wolfpack to a top three finish and their best score of the season Friday in the Section 3AA gymnastics championship held at Cottage Grove.
Davis soared to a pair of 9.6 scores on vault and floor and a 9.25 on the balance beam, qualifying for state again in the all-around and all four events. Bollman qualified for state on the floor and vault, also bagging a pair of nines.
Davis and Bollman both had top scores and the Wolfpack finished third in the team race with a season high score of 138.
“We had a fantastic night,” said Park head coach Ali Flaata. “Season high score. It’s a perfect time to do that, end of the year. That’s our goal all along isto peak when it matters the most. And we have two going to state so it’s very exciting.
“I think we were more mentally prepared going into the end of the season,” Flaata continued. “We were just continually building, building our confidence and building our skills throughout the year so it didn’t seem like they were nervous or getting ahead of themselves for the meet tonight.”
East Ridge ace Laney Schwellenbach dominated the competition, winning all four events and the all-around with a score of 38.725.
Davis was second in the all-around with her best score of the season of 36.9 and Bollman finished seventh with a 34.35.
For Davis it was a similar finish to last season where she also qualified in all four events. For Bollman it will be her first trip to state after missing last season.
For the Wolfpack as a while it was a satisfying jump from a fifth-place finish in this meet last season to third on Friday.
“I feel really good,” said Davis, who will be making her third straight trip to state and second straight time qualifying in the all-around.
“And I got my season high for my all around that I’ve ever gotten, so I’m really proud of that. My goal is obviously to do really well at state and hopefully place at state, on any event. I would say my best event is definitely floor. Today I got a 9.6 which was my personal best.”
Davis was second on vault (9.6), 10th on bars (8.45), second on beam (9.25) and second on floor (9.6).
“Ashley has been a consistent rock all year long,” said Flaata. “And she has been consistent and so it’s no surprise that she made it on that podium tonight. But she 100 percent deserves everything that she has been given. She is an extremely hard worker, attention to detail, she stays driven, confident, yea. Just a great well-rounded athlete.”
Bollman finished fourth on vault (9.075), 19th on bars (8.05) 18th on the beam (8.15) and sixth on floor (9.075).
“Makayla, that girl has had a journey,” said Flaata. “Two years ago she tore an ACL and was out for an entire season. Last year she worked really hard to come back and it just wasn’t her section meet unfortunately. And that was her goal all along; to make it to that state meet and she qualified in two events. So, it was a huge deal.”
Park’s Natalie Peters had a solid meet, finishing 23rd in the all-around (24.275). Peters had scores of 8.425 on vault, 8.05 on bars and a 7.8 on floor. Audrey Reimers had a 16.7 in two events and Luella Erling a 16.6.
On vault, Audre Reimers scored an 8.5, and Eleanor Thompson an 8.225.
Erling was 15th on (8.25) on bars, and Isabelle Boyd 29th (7.2).
Reimers scored an 8.2 on beam, Thompson a 7.575.
Alice Wood had an 8.625 on floor and Erling an 8.35.
East Ridge repeated as the team competition champions with a score of 141.8, followed by: 2, Apple Valley/Eastview (140.475). 3, Park (138.05). 4. Woodbury (136.725). 5, Rosemount (136.575). 6, Eagan (131.1). 7, Two Rivers, (112.725) and 8,I ki Hastings (111.925).
The state gymnastics tournament will be held Friday and Saturday again at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul. Team championships are Friday with Class AA individual and all-around championships Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
