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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 [email protected] 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.)
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No More Just-Misses; Hogan's the Champ
March 12, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
ROCKFORD – One by one, teammates hugged Rachel Hogan, while her coach Duane Haring placed medals around the necks of the other placers and worked to keep himself together.
Before this weekend, nine Grand Ledge gymnasts had combined to win 13 all-around MHSAA Finals championships. A few won multiple titles, and one finished first in both Division 2 and Division 1.
Hogan's path was different and all her own, a mix of just-misses and domination leading to her becoming the Comets' next winner.
She finished 10th in Division 1 as a freshman, a point off the lead, then improved to second as a sophomore, finishing only a tenth of a point behind the champion. Hogan fell back to third last season, but just 0.375 points back.
Saturday’s performance included a fall on balance beam and a ninth place on floor exercise. But it also included first places on vault and uneven bars – Hogan’s sixth and seventh Finals event championships over her four seasons – and this time she rose to the top of the podium at the end of the day as well, with an all-round score of 38.000 to win Division 1 by five hundredths of a point.
“For my senior year, I really just wanted to do the best I could,” Hogan said. “It’s my last year, and I know that, so I want to just put it all out there and give it all I’ve got. So I guess there was a little more of a drive, a little more of a want to get it.
“I really hope every girl here leaves feeling that they did their best. I feel that way too; that’s a great feeling.”
Hogan’s individual titles over the last four seasons included three on vault and two each on floor and bars. She tied the Division 1 Finals record with a 9.800 floor exercise as a freshman in 2013, but needed one more record performance to claim her all-around championship.
The growing cheers with every attempt told the entire Rockford gym that Hogan was shining on vault Saturday. And her final attempt earned a score of 9.875, five hundredths of a point better than Grand Ledge’s Alexis Byington scored to set the previous record in 2010.
Hogan earlier had won bars with a 9.700.
“She’s just a class act all the way around,” Grand Ledge coach Duane Haring said. “She’s always been determined, but she’s so nice (that) when she first started, she didn’t want to beat anybody else. Because she felt bad. Over the years I said, ‘It’s OK. They’re trying to beat you. You’re still friends. It’s called sports. It’s competition. You need to try to beat them.’
“So then, she started to get a little more aggressive, and said, ‘Yeah, maybe I do want to see if I can be on top.’”
Grosse Pointe United junior Isabelle Nguyen seems to be following a similar path as this year's champion.
Nguyen was runner-up to Rockford/Sparta’s Morgan Korf last season, finishing only 0.075 of a point behind. Her second-place score of 37.950 on Saturday was only 0.050 off the lead.
Nguyen also had the second-highest all-around of Friday’s Team Final, behind only Hogan, and Saturday finished second on bars and beam and fifth on floor.
“I’m pumped. I want to get new skills and work harder this summer,” Nguyen said. “I’m still happy I stayed second the whole time. (On) bars, even though she beat me by 0.025, I was still happy with my score (9.675). And beam, yesterday at Team (Finals) I fell, and I wanted to stay on beam today, and I had a good save today.”
Hogan and Nguyen’s respective finishes were especially impressive given the loaded field in Division 1. Korf finished fifth this time after helping the Rams to the team title Friday, and junior teammate Nicole Coughlin – the leading all-around scorer for Rockford/Sparta on Friday – improved three spots from last season’s Individual Finals to tie for third with Brighton senior Margo Mekjian. Coughlin won beam with a 9.650, and Mekjian won floor with a 9.600.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills senior Cassidy Terhorst, the Division 2 champion the last two seasons, came in seventh in Division 1 this time, one spot behind junior teammate Christine Byam.
Livonia Blue senior Brianna Rhoad also ended her career on top at these Finals, winning Division 2 after finishing sixth as a junior, 15th as a sophomore and seventh as a freshman.
Rhoad’s all-around score of 36.525 placed her three tenths of a point ahead of Farmington sophomore Elisa Bills. Rhoad didn’t finish first on any apparatus, but was at least eighth on all four.
“I was nervous, but after I had a pretty good beam and floor I thought I could finish it off well,” Rhoad said. “I think last year I just had a rough meet, so I think I had a better meet this year.”
Howell claimed two event championships in Division 2 – junior Alyssa Walker won beam with a 9.475 and junior Kacy Wolfram won vault with a 9.700. Rhoads’ teammate junior Jessica Weak won bars with a 9.025, and Haslett/Williamston/Bath senior Brooke Allen won floor with a 9.375.
PHOTOS: (Top) Rachel Hogan, center, stands atop the podium Saturday as the Division 1 all-around placers are honored. (Middle) Grosse Pointe United’s Isabelle Nguyen performs her beam routine. (Below) Livonia Blue’s Brianna Rhoad hugs coach Lisa Broomfield. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)