Gymnastics Finals: Catching the Comets
March 9, 2012
For the past four seasons, MHSAA gymnastics has begun and ended with Grand Ledge.
The Comets have won four straight team championships. Grand Ledge gymnasts also have claimed the last five Division 1 individual titles, and senior Christine Wilson won Division 2 in 2011.
But a number of strong teams and individuals are banking on putting an end to the Comets’ recent dominance.
Below are some of the favorites.
Team Finals are today at 2 p.m., with Division 2 individual competition at noon Saturday and Division 1 at 3:30 p.m. All are at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills High School. Tickets cost $7.
Click for a complete list of qualifiers, Regional results and this weekend’s rotation schedules.
Team Title Contenders
Grand Ledge finished nearly four points ahead of Canton at the 2011 Team Final. But tonight’s competition stands to be closer.
Grand Ledge: Four of the Comets’ top six from last season have continued to star this winter and helped Grand Ledge to the highest Regional score in the state, 149.40. The Comets haven’t lost a meet since finishing runner-up at the 2007 Final, and won both the Kenowa Hills and Canton invitationals this season – making them again the strong favorite.
Canton: This team should provide the biggest obstacle to a Comets five-peat. Canton finished just 75 thousandths of a point behind Grand Ledge at its invitational Feb. 4. Canton also posted the second-highest Regional score, 148.525, and has finished second and fourth, respectively, at the last two Team Finals.
Troy Athens/Avondale: Also a Regional champion, Athens/Avondale is led by individual Division 1 Regional champion Ashley Moskal -- and edged Farmington by 1.525 points for the team Regional title with a score of 146.975. Athens/Avondale finished fourth at the Canton Invitational.
Farmington: The 2010 and 2008 Finals runner-up finished second at its Regional with a 145.45, but third at the Canton Invitational. Senior Alyssa Bresso scored a 36.400 all-around in her Division 1 Regional, while senior Amanda Lumley won Division 2 that day with a 37.125 and sophomore teammate Meredith Jonik was second with a 36.525.
You’ll read these names again
Division 1
Paige Blythe, Howell: Won her Division 1 all-around with a score of 35.925, including a first place on beam (9.625).
Kylie Dudek, Coldwater junior: Finished second at her Regional with an all-around 37.125 thanks to top-four finishes in each individual event. She won her conference championship, and was 12th at last season’s Final.
Melissa Green, Canton sophomore: Finished second at her Regional with an all-around 37.175. She finished 17th at the Division 1 Final last season.
Ayana Lewis, Canton senior: Finished third at her Regional with an all-around 37.100. She was the Division 2 all-around runner-up at last season’s Finals.
Catrina Malysz, Highland-Milford sophomore: Finished fourth at her Regional, but with a score of 37.050 including a first place on vault (9.30).
Jocelyn Moraw, Canton freshman: Won her Regional with an all-around 37.650 and finished first in three events.
Ashley Moskal, Troy Athens/Avondale senior: Won her Regional with an all-around 38.175, including a first place on bars (9.825). She finished third at last season’s Final.
Sara Pakkanen, Negaunee sophomore: Tied for third at her Regional with an all-around 36.525, including a first place on beam (9.65). She’s a foreign exchange student from Finland.
Chloe Presley, Highland-Milford senior: Finished second at her Regional with a 38.000, keyed by a win on beam (9.80). She finished second at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association meet and fifth at last season’s Final.
Christina Shabet, Troy sophomore: Finished third at her Regional but with a score of 37.975 and a first place on floor (9.80). She finished ninth all-around at last season’s Final.
Taylor Tepper, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills/Grandville senior: Finished Division 1 Final runner-up the last two seasons. This winter, she tied for third at her Regional with an all-around 36.525, with first places on floor (9.925) and vault (9.70).
Christine Wilson, Grand Ledge senior: Last season’s Division 2 Final champion moved up to Division 1 this winter and won her Regional with an all-around score of 38.800. She’s posted 10.0 scores twice this season and won bars at the Regional with a 9.95.
Division 2
Presley Allison, Grand Ledge sophomore: Finished fourth at her Regional with an all-around 36.400, including a first place on beam (9.450). She finished third all-around at last season’s Final.
Sereen El-Awad, Troy Athens/Avondale senior: Although third all-around at her Regional (36.250), she won both vault (9.05) and bars (9.05) and was second on floor (9.70). She tied for seventh at last season’s Final.
Lauren Clark, Grand Ledge junior: Won her Regional with an all-around 36.950, with first places on floor (9.625) and bars (9.025). She finished eighth at last season’s Final.
Ashley Hextall, Pinckney junior: Won her Regional with an all-around 36.40, with first places on the vault (9.50) and floor (9.425).
Jacey Jackard, Haslett/Williamston/Bath senior: Finished third at her Regional with an all-around 35.50 after placing fifth at last season’s Final. She won bars at the Regional (8.825).
Nicole Jacobs, Salem senior: Finished second at her Regional with an all-around 35.975. She took 16th at last season’s Final.
Meredith Jonik, Farmington sophomore: Finished second at her Regional with an all-around score of 36.525 and won beam that day with a 9.425. She finished 15th at last season’s Final.
Megan Lee, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills/Grandville senior: Finished third at her Regional with an all-around 36.875, including runner-up finishes on both beam (9.40) and floor (9.525, tied). She finished 11th all-around at last season’s Final.
Erica Lucas, Canton sophomore: Finished first at her Regional. She tied for fourth on vault at last season’s Final.
Amanda Lumley, Farmington senior: Won her Regional with an all-around score of 37.125, with a first place on floor (9.875). She finished fourth at last season’s Final.
Karry Modolo, Freeland/Saginaw Swan Valley junior: Finished second at her Regional with an all-around 35.775 despite not winning an individual event. She finished second on bars (8.75).
Brittany Ramirez, Salem: Finished fourth at her Regional with an all-around 35.775.
Sara Peltier, Grand Ledge sophomore: Finished second at her Regional with an all-around 36.900, including a first place on vault (9.425). She finished 12th all-around at last season’s Final.
PHOTO (top) of Christine Wilson courtesy of Grand Ledge gymnastics program. Photo (middle) of Haslett/Williamston/Bath's Jacey Jackard.
Preview: Field Full of Contenders
March 11, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Canton gymnastics team truly was a feel-good story in 2014 as it claimed its first MHSAA championship after three straight runner-up finishes, while ending Grand Ledge’s run of six straight titles.
The Chiefs are a likely favorite again Friday at Rockford High School – but nine of 12 other finalists are hoping to follow Canton and become the next first-time MHSAA Finals champion.
Team competition begins at 2 p.m. Friday, with the final rotation scheduled for 6:40 p.m. Individual competition in both Divisions 1 and 2 begins at noon Saturday.
Two-time Division 1 individual champion Christina Shabet graduated from Troy last spring. But Grand Ledge junior Rachel Hogan is back after finishing runner-up, and reigning Division 2 champion Cassidy Terhorst is back as only a junior. Read on for more on both and others who also should be in the hunt for individual titles, plus a number of teams that should be in contention Friday. Click for rotation schedules for both days of competition.
Team contenders
Canton – The reigning MHSAA champion won the most competitive Regional last weekend with the top Regional score anywhere this winter, 146.500, despite losing top 2014 all-around finisher Jocelyn Moraw to an injury midseason. The Chiefs still boast three Division 1 contenders and a Division 2 favorite among a strong group of contributors.
Farmington – Last season’s third-place Finals finisher also was a Regional champion at 141.600 and will return this weekend with four of six who competed in last year’s Final, along with a top freshman. The Falcons finished second to Canton at White Lake Lakeland’s Invitational in January.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills United – Last season’s fifth-place finisher should be in good position for another top finish with a trio of strong Division 1 gymnasts and the Division 2 reigning champion leading the way. Forest Hills Central finished second to Rockford at their Regional, scoring 143.925.
Grosse Pointe United – The Blue Devils are an intriguing possibility among teams seeking a first MHSAA championship. They finished second to Canton at their Regional at 144.375 after finishing fourth at last season’s Final – and return their top three all-around competitors from the 2013-14 team.
Plymouth – The Wildcats finished third to Canton and Grosse Pointe South at their Regional, but scored 143.500. Plymouth returns this weekend with both gymnasts who competed all-around when the team finished sixth a year ago.
Rockford/Sparta – This season’s host won its Regional by a point with a score of 144.925 and took four of the top six in the Division 1 all-around after missing the Finals last season. The Rams have won the MHSAA team title once – in 1989 – and have the star power at the top to make a run. They won the Canton Invitational in February ahead of both the host Chiefs and Grosse Pointe South.
Division 1
Katie Fabian, Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart junior – Went from competing on one apparatus at the Regional as a sophomore to winning the all-around this season in 35.125 and taking first on beam in 9.150.
Mary Grace Fries, Jackson Lumen Christi senior – A Regional champion scoring 37.300, she could make a jump from last season’s eighth-place Finals finish. Fries also won the Regional title on beam at 9.525.
Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge junior – Her team might not be among the favorites this time, but Hogan is the likely contender to catch in the Division 1 individual competition after she finished second by a tenth of a point a year ago. Hogan won vault and tied for first on bars at the 2014 Final, won floor at the 2013 Final, and claimed last weekend’s Regional title at 38.825 – with a 10.000 on vault, 9.500 on bars, 9.550 on beam and 9.725 on floor to finish first on all four.
Morgan Korf, Rockford/Sparta junior – Finished 11th and 18th in Division 1 her first two years of high school, respectively, and should surge after putting up a 37.175 all-around at her Regional to finish second to Hogan. She also took second in vault (9.600) and beam (9.550).
Allison Kunz, Canton senior – Finished second in the all-around at 37.175 in a loaded Regional, winning bars (9.625) and taking second on floor (9.650) and vault (9.300). She did win the all-around at the White Lake Lakeland Invitational at 37.975.
Margo Mekjian, Brighton junior – Finished second to Fries at their Regional with an all-around score of 36.400 and won the vault in 9.600. She finished 12th at last season’s Final among a strong group of contenders who all broke 36.000.
Haley Metz, Plymouth sophomore – Won her Regional in a school-record 36.950 and finished second on bars in 9.425. She took 13th in the Finals all-around as a freshman.
Madi Myers, Rockford/Sparta junior – The only Sparta athlete on the Rockford/Sparta co-op team, Myers finally will compete in a Finals after injuries derailed her first two opportunities. She finished third all-around (36.825) at her Regional and took second on floor (9.550), but won her Regional as a freshman.
Isabelle Nguyen, Grosse Pointe United sophomore – After finishing fifth all-around in the Final last season, took first at her Regional last weekend with a score of 37.575. She also won the vault in 9.500.
Maria Nguyen, Grosse Pointe United senior – Finished less than a point behind her sister, Isabelle (above), to take fourth at the Regional in 36.725 after finishing 14th all-around at last season’s Final.
Carina Wright, Farmington junior – Finished sixth all-around at last season’s Final and third as a freshman. Wright placed second at her Regional last weekend with a score of 34.675 and won vault after also taking second all-around at her Regional as a sophomore.
Division 2
Elisa Bills, Farmington freshman – The Falcons’ first-year standout finished second all-around at her Regional with a 35.000 and a pair of first places in the bars (8.800) and vault (9.000).
Lauren DeHaan, Lowell senior – Tied for 12th all-around at last season’s Final and should be a contender despite finishing fifth (35.575) in last weekend’s most competitive Division 2 Regional field, at Kenowa Hills.
Hailey Hodgson, Canton junior – Won her Regional in 36.000 after tying a teammate for the Regional title in 2014. Hodgson finished first on floor (9.200), beam (9.050) and vault (9.300) and should be in the hunt Saturday after finishing fourth all-around a year ago.
Kelly Momber, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills/West Catholic/Grandville senior – Won the all-around at her home gym with a score of 37.100 while taking first on beam (9.475) and floor (9.660). Momber tied for 12th all-around at last season’s Final.
Brianna Rhoad, Livonia Blue junior – Finished seventh and 15th in her first two MHSAA Finals, respectively, and should move up after taking second at last weekend’s Regional with a 35.775.
Marissa Schuh, Farmington senior – Came in 14th all-around at last season’s Final but should also move up significantly after taking first in the all-around at her Regional at 35.475 and winning beam with a 9.200.
Tiana Seville, Grand Ledge junior – After missing last season with an injury, Seville could finish this winter well after taking third at her Regional with a 36.125. She was first on vault at 9.500 and should be a favorite on that apparatus.
Cassidy Terhorst, Grand Rapids Forest Hills United junior – The reigning Division 2 all-around champion finished second at her Regional with a 36.825 but easily could push back to the top this weekend. She finished first on bars at the Regional with a 9.300 but can score high on various skills – she took three second places in winning last year’s Final.
Alyssa Walker, Howell sophomore – Led the Highlanders to their first team Regional title and won the individual all-around in 36.075. Perhaps more impressively, Walker also finished first in a loaded field at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association end-of-season meet.
Jessica Weak, Livonia Blue sophomore – Another top competitor from the strong KLAA, Weak finished eighth all-around at last season’s Final but was third at her Regional last weekend with a 35.725. She also took second on floor at the Regional with a 9.150.
Kacy Wolfram, Howell sophomore – With Walker, also played a big part in Howell’s first team Regional title and finished second all-around with a 35.325. She’ll should be in the mix on vault after winning that apparatus with a 9.500.
PHOTO: Canton’s Hailey Hodgson, here on balance beam, helped her team to its first MHSAA championship last season.