Free State beats out SMNW for league gymnastics crown

Source: The Star

Susan Pfannmuller | Special to The Star

SM Northwest’s Sierra Trussell was the runner-up in the all-around. She edged SM East’s Katye Bever by 0.425 points.

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For two years now, Shawnee Mission Northwest’s gymnastics team has been nip-and-tuck at meet after meet with Free State’s tumbling and twirling girls.

The two squads were expected to wage another tight battle Thursday at SM South during the Sunflower League Gymnastics Championship, but it didn’t happen that way.

Instead, the Firebirds won handily, totaling 104.075 points and cruising to the title by 2.100 points behind senior Drue Davis, who also won the individual all-around championship by a hefty margin.

“They hit and we didn’t,” Cougars coach Jackie Cipollini said.

Davis won the vault (9.650), balance beam (9.200) and floor exercise (9.450) and added a fifth-place finish on the uneven bars (8.400) en route to the individual gold with a 36.700 total.

SM Northwest’s Sierra Trussell was the all-around runner-up (34.625) as well as the runner-up in three events — the bars (8.600), floor (9.000) and vault (9.450).

While not the championship showing Trussell had envisioned at the beginning of the season, it was an encouraging performance. SM Northwest’s senior leader and top returning state finisher — she was seventh in the all-around at state last year just behind Davis — has battled a bruised knee and a rotator cuff injury this season.

“She’s just now competing in the all-around again,” Cipollini said.

By the state tournament, which will be Nov. 7 in Newton, Trussell and the Cougars hope to close the gap with Davis and the Firebirds.

“The girls decided to go a little relaxed today and it showed,” Cipollini said. “Our heads aren’t into the postseason yet, but they’re fired up now. This embarrassed them. We’ve never counted this many falls before at a meet. Free State had a good meet and they’re strong, but we’ll go back and forth at them.”

The Firebirds would expect nothing less.

“It’s going to be close at state,” Davis said. “This was just one meet. They struggled in some events, but they’re going to get better.”

SM Northwest hosts one of two regionals at 5 p.m. today. Olathe East, Olathe Northwest, SM East, SM North, SM South and SM West will be in attendance and the top four teams reach state.

The state’s other six teams — Emporia, Free State, Lawrence, Newton, Olathe North and Olathe South — compete in a regional Saturday at Olathe North.

Sunflower League individual results •All-around

1. Drue Davis, FS, 36.700; 2. Sierra Trussell, SMNW, 34.625; 3. Katye Bever, SME, 34.200; 4. Kelcy Bowers, FS, 33.900.

•Uneven bars

1. Bever, 8.900; 2. Trussell, 8.600; 3. Bowers, 8.550; 4. Jessica Tingle, SMNW, 8.400.

•Balance beam

1. Davis, 9.200; 2. Camry Jones, SMNW, 8.800; 3. Kendra Martiny, SMS, 8.750; 4. Lizzie Sanford, ON, 8.225.

•Floor exercise

1. Davis, 9.450; 2. Trussell, 9.000; 3. Aly Frydman, FS, 8.975; 4t. Bowers, and Elayna Briggs, ONW, 8.800.

•Vault

1. Davis, 9.650; 2. Trussell, 9.450; 3. Briggs, 9.400; 4. Molli Bird, SMNW, 8.750.

submitted by TOD PALMER - 2009-10-27 12:47:04