Finals: Comets Reach Record Heights
March 9, 2012
GRAND RAPIDS – Grand Ledge faced a possibility Friday at Kenowa Hills High School that none of its gymnasts had known before.
No gymnast on the team had experienced a high school loss. But the Comets were coming off a frustrating performance on their best apparatus, vault, and needed a strong finish to push its MHSAA team championship streak to five.
Senior Christine Wilson knew she’d do her share. But that would be the easy part.
“I’ve been doing the routines for so long now, I knew I had it. But the hard part was getting the girls to believe that they could do it. That was my job, just to get them going again,” the Comets’ lone senior said. “Because I know, after vault, and you’re behind, it’s really hard to pull yourself together when you’re under that much stress.
“Going for five, who does that?”
Grand Ledge went for it on the uneven parallel bars – and got it all. The Comets posted the meet’s top score on that apparatus – 37.325 – to finish with a score of 149.400 and edge Canton by 0.825 points to claim their fifth MHSAA championship. Kenowa Hills/Grandville finished third with 145.10.
“I can’t even describe how proud I am of them,” Wilson said of her teammates. “Every day it’s the same thing, same thing, same thing. It’s this moment. If you don’t put it together, you don’t got it.
“I basically told them we’re so much better than what we just did, and we’ve got to show everyone we can do it. You’ve got to start believing in yourself. Everyone else out here believes in you, but if you don’t believe in yourself, it’s not going to happen.”
The fifth-straight title ties a record held by Ludington (1975-79, although Ludington was co-champion in 1979). It’s fair to believe that the Comets’ 75-event winning streak – counting both duals and invitationals – also is the longest in MHSAA gymnastics history. The last time Grand Ledge took the mat and didn’t finish first was at the 2007 MHSAA Final, when the Comets finished runner-up.
Wilson is the reigning Division 2 individual champion and favored today to win Division 1. Her all-around score of 38.650 on Friday was the Team Final’s highest. Three others posted scores above 36 – juniors Sara Peltier (36.025) and Lauren Clark (36.575) and sophomore Presley Allison (36.90) – and freshman Hailey French turned in a strong 34.925. The score of 149.400 was good for fourth in MHSAA Finals history and the team’s third-best during this five-season run.
It’s not like Grand Ledge totally failed on the vault. Its score of 37.050 was the second-best on that apparatus at the meet. But Canton had scored two tenths of a point more – a healthy amount in what was shaping up to be a close race at the top.
Wilson pulled her teammates into the hallway. She told them to believe. Grand Ledge coach Duane Haring followed with a little bit more of a fiery speech – one among many Wilson said she’ll always remember.
“I was sitting with the parents, and I told them I was really angry because … I think we’re the best vault team in the state. And they didn’t do it,” Haring said. “I just had to go for a walk because I can’t talk to them right now. I started to walk away, and I thought, ‘Oh yes I can.’ … Trust me; they were wide awake for bars. They understood.
“I knew they could do it. All year I’ve waited for them to do bars like that.”
Wilson scored a 9.8 on bars. But the key was Peltier – which scored a 9.7 and landed her dismount for just the second time in competition this season (and Wilson called the first time she’d landed it “lucky”).
Had Peltier missed her landing, it would’ve cost her seven tenths of a point. Add in another error, and that might’ve been enough to lose the lead.
“I felt pressured at first. But when all the girls started pulling it together and landing their dismounts, I didn’t feel as pressured,” Peltier said. “I knew we needed to do as well as we could, but I didn’t realize that it would make that big of an impact on whether we won or not.”
Canton also finished runner-up last season. But coach John Cunningham – who has coached the sport at the high school level since 1968 and at Canton since 1979 – called this team one of his most surprising.
The Chiefs graduated six strong gymnasts after last season, including two school record holders. But this team broke the school's 2004 scoring record with a 149.10. Senior Ayana Lewis broke two event and the all-around records, including two that had stood since 1995.
“They were shockingly good. They didn’t get (just) a little bit better,” Cunningham said. “Everybody has just improved so much. When you have routines when the fifth score is a 9.0 and you can throw it out, and we’ve done that a bunch, it just shocks me.”
Freshman Joselyn Moraw had an all-around 37.650 to lead Canton on Friday. Sophomore Melissa Green had a 36.90 and Lewis had a 36.350. She’ll compete today in Division 1 – after finishing runner-up in Division 2 last season – but is one of just two seniors.
“It’s frustrating, yes. But you never know what could happen next year,” Lewis said. “It might be our year. Every year we step up one more. We get better one year after the next. I have really good hopes for next year.”
Senior Taylor Tepper scored an all-around 38.225 for Kenowa Hills/Grandville. Senior Alyssa Bresso had a 38.150 for fifth-place Farmington, and senior Chloe Presley had a 38.250 for sixth-place Highland-Milford.
Click for full results, and click for more photos from High School Sports Scene. Click for Individual Finals results.
Preview: Challengers Lining Up as Reigning Team Champ Chases 3-Peat
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 7, 2024
This weekend’s MHSAA Gymnastics Finals at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills could see the reigning team champion three-peat for the second time over the last decade – but with another close competition likely in store.
Rockford/Sparta is seeking a third straight team title after also accomplishing that feat from 2015-17 but will face strong contenders including a pair seeking a first Finals championship since the 1990s.
On the individual side, the 2023 Division 1 champion graduated, and reigning Division 2 title winner Lydia Beaton from Grand Ledge will compete in Division 1 this time – meaning at least one new champion will climb the podium.
Team competition begins at 4 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: With a 37.1 on the balance beam leading the way, Farmington won its Regional last week by 6.4 points with a total score of 144.750. The team is seeking its first championship since winning back-to-back in 2018-19 and finished third at the Final a year ago. Five gymnasts from that team return, and junior Leah Hodge led at the Regional with a 38.425 all-around.
Hartland: The Eagles are seeking their first team championship since 1999 and won their Regional by more than six points as well at 145.75. Hartland broke 36 points on floor, vault and beam, totaling 36.95 scores on the latter two. The Eagles finished fourth at the Final a year ago, and four gymnasts return who competed in that effort. Sophomores Abby Griffen and Kate Gostlin finished third and fourth, respectively, in Division 1 all-around at the Regional.
Rockford/Sparta: The Rams have won the last two Division 1 championships and clinched their Regional title last week with a score of 145.4 – nearly seven points better than the field. That score included a 38 on floor exercise and 37.9 on balance beam. Six of eight gymnasts who competed in last season’s Final will be back this weekend, led by senior Hailey Hill, the Division 2 individual champion at the Regional.
Salem: The Rocks finished sixth last season and are seeking their first Finals team title since 1993, and they won arguably the most competitive Regional last week as three teams scored 140 or higher. Salem posted a 143.250 paced by a 37.900 on floor exercise. Senior Katie Stewart took third in the Division 1 all-around, and senior Anna Barczyk was runner-up in Division 2.
Division 1
Lydia Beaton, Grand Ledge senior: Last year’s Division 2 all-around champion will compete in Division 1 this weekend after finishing sixth all-around at her Regional with a second-place tie on vault and third on floor exercise.
Anna Browne, Brighton senior: She finished ninth in Division 1 all-around last season and fifth at her Regional last week with a 35.95 which included a fourth place on vault and sixth places on uneven parallel bars and balance beam.
Kate Gostlin, Hartland sophomore: As noted above, Gostlin finished fourth at her Regional last week scoring a 36 all-around score and with a first place on vault (9.7). She competed on beam and vault at the team competition as a freshman.
Abby Griffen, Hartland sophomore: Griffen’s third-place Regional score of 36.725 was only a tenth of a point out of second and included a runner-up finish on vault and third place on bars.
Jenna Griffin, Saline senior: She competed on Division 1 vault at last season’s Final, tying for 16th, and will compete all-around this time coming off a fifth-place Regional score of 35.975.
Leah Hodge, Farmington United junior: She won her Regional all-around by nearly two points with a 38.425 and first places on floor (9.55), beam (9.9), bars (9.525) and vault (9.45).
Elsa Kehoe, Forest Hills United senior: She won her Regional all-around championship with a 36.725 that included first places on vault (8.875), bars (8.85) and floor (9.65) and a second place on beam.
Leah Koch, Rockford junior: She was the Regional all-around runner-up to Kehoe with a score of 35.95 that included a first place on beam (9.55) and top-three finishes on the other three apparatuses.
Noelle Licari, Northville junior: She qualified on Division 1 vault for last year’s Final and will compete all-around this time after tying for first at her Regional with a 36.325.
Stella Musialowski, Huron Valley United sophomore: She finished Regional runner-up with an all-around of 36.500 that included second places on beam, bars and vault.
Maria Petru, Howell senior: After moving from Division 2 to Division 1 last season, Petru finished fifth all-around at the Final and could contend this weekend coming off a winning Regional all-around of 37.1 with a first place on floor (9.625).
Lia Pinkosky, Canton senior: She also made the jump from Division 2 to Division 1 as a junior, finishing 14th all-around at the Final. She tied Licari for a Regional all-around title last weekend at 36.325 with second places on bars and beam.
Keira Sadler, Linden/Fenton/Lake Fenton junior: She finished Regional runner-up to Petru at 36.375 with a first place on beam (9.35) and will look to improve on her 12th-place all-around in Division 1 a year ago.
Alisa Shiraishi, Novi senior: She finished a close fourth at her Regional with a 36-point all-around that included a first place on beam (9.1) and third place on floor.
Katie Stewart, Salem senior: She finished eighth all-around as a sophomore and 11th last season and should be back in contention coming off a 36.275 Regional all-around that missed tying for first by five hundredths of a point. She won bars (9.475) and vault (9.425) in building that score.
Division 2
Anna Barczyk, Salem senior: She finished sixth in Division 2 all-around last season and heads into this weekend coming off a Regional runner-up finish with a score of 35.700 and first places on vault (8.95) and beam (9.15).
Charlotte Calhoun, Coldwater senior: She went from 15th all-around as a sophomore to second last season and should be back in contention after finishing second at her Regional (36.7) with a first place on bars (9.4).
Alex Cinzori, Plymouth senior: She tied for eighth all-around last season and is coming off her second-straight Regional all-around title, her score of 35.825 including a first place on floor (9.6) and seconds on bars and beam.
Sydney Eiler, Haslett United senior: She qualified on bars for last season’s Final and will return competing all-around after winning her Regional with a 34.625 that included a first place on bars (8.475).
Hailey Hill, Rockford senior: She finished fourth all-around last season and returns after winning her Regional just ahead of Calhoun at 36.975 with a first place on beam (9.825) and top-five finishes on every other apparatus.
Addi Richmond, Jackson Area senior: She’s finished ninth, 10th and fifth all-around over her first three seasons and was third to Hill and Calhoun at their Regional with a 35.925 all-around that included a first place on floor (9.65) and second place on bars.
Sophia Yee, Farmington United junior: She tied for 16th all-around last season and should make a jump after winning her Regional all-around with a 35.575 and first place on beam (9.5).
PHOTO Salem’s Katie Stewart competes on balance beam during the 2023 Finals individual competition. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)