After Finishing Close Second in 2021, Rockford Eyeing Return to #1
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
February 17, 2022
ROCKFORD – The Rockford gymnastics team has put together quite the resume in the last seven years.
The Rams are hoping to add to their impressive list of past accomplishments in a couple of weeks.
Rockford, which won three straight MHSAA Finals from 2015-17 and placed runner-up in 2019 and last year, is preparing to make another charge after winning Wednesday night’s Ottawa-Kent Conference Rainbow championship meet.
“We’ve had a good season so far,” Rams coach Michelle Ankney said. “We’ve been solid, we’re consistent and we’re hanging in there with some of the other top teams in the state. We’re just hoping that we have enough to put in a good round at state this year.”
This year’s Finals are scheduled for March 11-12 at White Lake Lakeland High School.
Rockford is hoping to gain redemption after a near-miss last season. The Rams finished less than a point behind Finals champion Jackson Area.
“They definitely came in motivated this year, and they know what it’s like to be there,” Ankney said. “They know what it’s like to just miss out, and they want to win if they can. They are definitely working for it by trying to get new skills and get our consistency up so we’re ready for state in a few weeks.”
The Rams graduated only two gymnasts from a year ago, leaving the squad with plenty of returning experience and talent.
They went unbeaten through the conference dual season, and earlier this month proved their mettle state-wide with a victory at the prestigious Canton Invitational.
“We are setting some high expectations for ourselves, but we just need to go out and do our best and not focus on anyone else,” said junior Lacey Scheid, who placed runner-up in the Division 1 all-around last year to Grand Ledge’s Lizzie Maurer.
“We are all there for each other, and we help each other with everything. We are open with each other, and we push each other so much. We motivate each other, and we just work well together.”
Scheid and senior Anna Tracey combine to produce a formidable one-two punch for the Rams.
Tracey placed runner-up in the Division 2 all-around at last year’s Finals and also won an individual title on the beam.
“Both of those girls are going for it this year,” Ankney said. “Anna’s consistency has been there, and she is a rock. She is solid, and she just added two new skills that will definitely boost her skills a bit and just might be enough.”
Scheid and Tracey competed together in club gymnastics.
“I love Anna, and she motivates me so much,” Scheid said. “We are neck and neck with everything we do, and it’s been that way since club. She’s been doing amazing this year and has so many new skills. Her new skills and me recovering from surgery is motivating me to pick up the pace and step up my game.”
Scheid, who won bars at last year’s Finals, has persevered through injuries in both legs.
She was diagnosed with compartment syndrome, a painful condition that occurs when pressure within the muscles builds to dangerous levels.
Scheid had surgery on her right leg last summer and is expected to have surgery again this summer after experiencing similar symptoms this season in her left leg.
“She is coming back from an injury, but working hard,” Ankney said. “She is doing her best to get some new skills, and she definitely wants to make a run at the title this year.”
Scheid said the injury has hindered her ability to execute certain skills.
“There is discomfort, and I’ve had to limit practice time and do treatments,” she said. “This season has been hard on me physically and mentally, but hopefully after surgery this summer I will be able to go into my senior year pain-free.”
Scheid’s performance last year surprised even herself. It was her first year competing at the high school gymnastics championship meet due to the pandemic canceling the 2020 Finals.
“I didn’t have high expectations at all last year, so my goal was just to have fun, do my best and focus on myself,” Scheid said. “I was very shocked.”
Other top performers for the Rams include senior captains Joey Gair, who competes in the all-around, and Olivia Schubert (vault).
Among underclassmen, sophomores Hailey Hill (beam/floor) and Kayley Burke (floor) and freshmen Katie Tracey (beam/bars) and Avery Renberg (floor) also provide a boost.
Beam has become Rockford’s staple event this season with several gymnasts improving their scores.
“Most people hate going to beam, but we kind of celebrate it,” Ankney said. “We’ve just put up some good numbers and hopefully we’re consistent and among the top in the state in beam.”
Said Scheid: “Coach makes sure we hit every routine, and we are not allowed to leave until we have stuck at least three routines in a row. We have learned more about ourselves and have really grown as far as being calm and confident in that event.”
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for four years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at dream100@comcast.net with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Rockford’s Anna Tracey prepares to begin her floor exercise during last season’s Team Finals at Rockford. (Middle) The Rams’ Lacey Scheid performs her routine in helping their team to an overall runner-up finish. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Reigning Gymnastics Champs Lead Title Chase Again, But Challengers Await
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 7, 2025
The reigning MHSAA Gymnastics Finals team champion appears as strong as ever heading into this weekend’s meet, and the Division 1 individual champion is back after another dominating Regional performance as well.
But both are set to face fierce challenges again at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills.
Rockford is seeking a fourth-straight team title and scored the highest score at any Regional last week – but with surging Hartland less than a point off the pace.
Individually, Farmington United’s Leah Hodge is seeking a Division 1 repeat and will lead a chase that could include Rockford’s Ava Ezell and Hartland’s Alexis Fundich among several others. Farmington also will go for the individual sweep as Sophia Yee is a strong contender in Division 2.
Team competition begins at 2 p.m. Friday, with individual competition in both Divisions 1 and 2 beginning at noon Saturday. For information on purchasing tickets, Finals rotations for both days and Regional results, go to the Gymnastics page – and see below for several contenders to watch:
Team
Farmington United: Last season’s runner-up was most recently champion back-to-back in 2018 and 2019 and finished only two tenths of a point behind Rockford a year ago. Farmington United won its Regional by 5.4 points last week with a total of 145.925, paced by a 37.050 on floor exercise and at least a 35.200 on all four apparatuses.
Hartland: The Eagles are pursuing a first team championship since 1999 and coming off a Regional title last week won by more than nine points with a score of 149.175. Hartland made a nice run last season at the Final, finishing fourth but only 1.425 points off the lead. The Eagles scored at least 36.325 on every apparatus at last week’s Regional and broke 37 on three of them.
Northville: The Mustangs placed fifth last season, and they are seeking their first championship after most recently making a run with a runner-up finish in 2018. They won last week’s Regional at Salem with a 144.875, nearly four points more than the field and with scores of at least 35.100 on all four apparatuses and a high of 37.100 on balance beam.
Rockford: The Rams have won three straight team championships and are coming off a Regional win by nearly 14 points last week with a score of 150.05. They went over 38 points on both vault (38.1) and floor (38.425) and approached that total on beam (37.925) while placing the top three in Division 1 all-around and top four in Division 2.
Division 1
Ava Ezell, Rockford senior: She’ll compete at her first MHSAA Finals coming off a Regional all-around championship by nearly two points and sweeping all four apparatuses. She scored a 38.700, finishing first on vault (9.7), bars (9.525), beam (9.75) and floor (9.725).
Alexis Fundich, Hartland junior: She’s set multiple school records this season and won her Regional all-around last week with a score of 37.975 that included first places on beam (9.7) and floor (9.625 - tied). She tied for sixth on beam at last year’s Final.
Kate Gostlin, Hartland junior: Gostlin finished fifth all-around at her Regional with a 36.200 that included a championship on vault (9.8). She placed 23rd all-around at last season’s Final with a third on vault.
Abby Griffen, Hartland junior: She finished third all-around last season with third places on bars and beam and enters this weekend coming off a third-place all-around Regional finish (37.450) that included top-four places on all four apparatuses.
Leah Hodge, Farmington United junior: The reigning Division 1 champion did so with a 38.000 all-around last year that included a first place on bars and second on vault. She won her Regional last week by nearly two points at 38.075 with firsts on bars (9.6), beam (9.45), and vault (9.6).
Leah Koch, Rockford senior: She’s finished Regional all-around runner-up two seasons in a row, this time with a 36.725 that included second places on vault (9.6) and bars (8.525) and third places on floor (9.45) and beam (9.15). She won vault and finished 11th all-around at last year’s Final.
Noelle Licari, Northville senior: After tying for first all-around at her Regional last season, Licari won it outright this time with a 36.625 that included a championship on vault (9.25) and top-five places on the other three apparatuses. She placed 19th all-around at last year’s Final.
Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United junior: A Regional runner-up for the second-straight season, she scored a 36.375 all-around last week finishing at least third on every apparatus and with a championship on floor (9.475). She tied for 15th all-around at last year’s Final.
Taylee Nadolski, Vassar senior: A Bay City Central student participating as part of a cooperative team, she’s coming off a 37.750 to finish Regional all-around runner-up to Fundich and after tying her to win floor (9.625) and finishing first on bars (9.6). She finished fourth on floor at last year’s Final.
Keira Sadler, Linden/Fenton/Lake Fenton senior: She improved from 12th all-around as a sophomore to 10th last season while tying for sixth on bars and beam. She’s coming off a fourth-place all-around Regional finish (36.775) that included a second on beam (9.5) and tie for third on floor (9.4).
Division 2
Reese Beauleaux, Adrian junior: She edged Livonia Stevenson’s Leah Ciavaglia by five hundredths of a point to win their Regional all-around last week with a 34.925, paced by a second place on floor.
Avi Einfeld, Rockford senior: She finished 15th all-around at last year’s Final with two top-nine (with ties) apparatus placings, and she was a Regional all-around runner-up last week (36.000) with a shared championship on vault (9.4) and second place on floor.
Lillian Green, Rockford sophomore: She finished third all-around at her Regional last week (35.850) thanks in part to a second place on beam.
Sydnee Schrauben, Rockford senior: She placed fourth at her Regional last week with a 35.800, just two tenths of a point out of second and with a championship on bars (8.85).
Kate Tracey, Rockford senior: The returning Division 2 Final champion on beam will compete this time coming off a Regional all-around title, as she scored 36.650 last week with a win on beam (9.7) and third place on bars.
Morgan Thomas, Fowlerville/Pinckney/Morrice/Webberville senior: She won her Regional all-around title with a 35.925 that included championships on beam (9.35) and floor (9.525).
Lucy Tull, Grosse Pointe United senior: She placed 14th all-around at last year’s Final and second at her Regional last week with a 35.350 that included top-three (with ties) finishes on vault, beam and floor.
Sophia Yee, Farmington United senior: She improved from 16th all-around at the Final as a sophomore to fifth last season and is coming off a second-straight Regional title as she scored a 35.925 all-around with a win on beam (9.45) last week.
PHOTO Rockford’s Leah Koch competes on balance beam during last season’s MHSAA Team Final at Kenowa Hills. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)