Pauls, Copeland lead Olathe East to second straight state title

Source: The Star

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By the end of the Kansas state gymnastics meet on Saturday at Olathe East, you would have been hard-pressed to find a gymnast happier than Olathe East senior Annie Pauls.

Pauls won her first all-around state title with a score of 36.5, edging out Hawks teammate Beth Copeland, who won the floor and finished second in the all-around with a score of 36.275.

“It’s the best feeling in the world to know your hard work finally paid off,” said Pauls, who also won the bars. “Every time I worked out, I imagined what this would feel like.”

Together, Copeland and Pauls also led the Hawks to their second consecutive team state title. Olathe East’s team score of 106.35 was more than one point higher than second-place SM Northwest.

“It was a long, stressful year,” Olathe East coach Lydia Messenger said. “The girls wanted to experience the feeling of winning a state title again ... they nailed their routines.”

But while Pauls and the rest of her Olathe East teammates were basking in the glory, others were thinking about what could have been.

Take SM Northwest senior Candice Owen, for instance. Owen finished third in the all-around with a score of 35.975, but openly wondered how she might have fared if she wasn’t dealing with a sprained left ankle and a stress fracture in her right leg.

“It’s a learning experience, I guess,” said Owen, who was walking with a limp during the medal ceremony. “I gave my best, and considering my injuries I thought I did pretty well.”

Olathe South senior Alyson Ramsey was in the same boat. Ramsey, who finished third at state in the all-around last year, had to fight through mono and her own nagging leg injuries this season.

And by the end of the state meet, Ramsey couldn’t hold back the tears. Her high school gymnastics career was over.

“This whole season has been so tough, mentally and physically, with me being sick,” said Ramsey, who finished eighth in the all-around. “After missing three weeks in the middle of the season, you have to be happy with eighth at state.”

But while several seniors were left pondering the end of their careers, gymnasts like SM Northwest junior Sierra Trussell are already looking ahead.

Trussell, who was competing at her first state gymnastics meet, won the beam with a score of 9.35. She joined SM East junior Hannah Quillec, who won the vault, as the only non-Olathe East gymnasts to win an event.

Kansas state meet Saturday at Olathe East

Team scores: 1. Olathe East 106.35, 2. SM Northwest 105.25; 3. Lawrence Free State 105.125; 4. Olathe Northwest 101.150; 5. Olathe South 99.4; 6. Newton 97.15; 7. Olathe North 96.075; 8. SM East 95.500.

All-around: 1. Annie Pauls, OE, 36.5; 2. Beth Copeland, OE, 36.275; 3. Candice Owen, SMNW, 35.975; 4. Elayna Briggs, ONW, 35.95; 5. Hannah Quillec, SME, 35.4.

Bars: 1. Pauls, OE, 9.325; 2. Copeland, OE, 9.275; 3. Amelia Fims-Hubert, LFS, 9.2L 4. Candice Owen, SMNW, 9.000; 5. Alyson Ramsey, OS, 8.975.

Beam: 1. Sierra Trussell, SMNW, 9.35; 2. Fims-Hubert, LFS, 9.075; 3. Kelcy Bowers, LFS, 9.05; 4. Pauls, OE, 9.025; Briggs, ONW, 9.025.

Floor: 1. Copeland, OE, 9.45; 2. Owen, SMNW, 9.4; 3. Davis, LFS, 9.35; 4. Pauls, OE, 9.1; 5. Trussell, SMNW, 9.075.

Vault: 1. Quillec, SME, 9.4; 2. Briggs, ONW, 9.35; 3. Lizzie Sanford, ON, 9.1; 4. Kylee Green, Hutchinson, 9.05; Copeland, OE, 9.05; Pauls, OE, 9.05.

submitted by TEREZ A. PAYLOR - 2008-11-11 13:39:02