Preview: Loaded Lineups Face Off Again
March 9, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Rockford/Sparta enjoyed quite the MHSAA Finals weekend in 2015, claiming the first team championship since 1989, on its home floor, and the Division 1 individual title the following afternoon.
With their top gymnasts including that individual champion and another favorite back this weekend, the Rams arguably are favorites to pull off a repeat performance – although 2014 champion Canton has a similarly veteran lineup, and last season’s Division 1 individual runner-up and third place finishers plus the two-time reigning Division 2 champion all will compete for the same title this time.
Team competition begins at 2 p.m. Friday at Rockford, with the final rotation scheduled for 6:20 p.m. Individual competition in both Divisions 1 and 2 begins at noon Saturday.
Read on for a glance at a number of contenders who should be in the hunt, and click for rotation schedules for both days of competition.
Team contenders
Canton – Last season’s runner-up and the 2014 champion has five straight top-two finishes at the MHSAA Team Final. The veteran Chiefs won their Regional with a score of 146.425, the second-highest statewide last weekend. They also won the White Lake Lakeland Invitational ahead of a strong group. Canton took the second-through-fifth places at the Division 1 Regional with Katie Dickson, Kelsea Kemosek, Jana Hilditch and Stephanie Cox and got a third in Division 2 from Hailey Hodgson and a fifth from Rachel Socha.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills United – Forest Hills fell one spot back at last season’s Final from fifth in 2014 to sixth, but was fewer than two points from third place. A 144.825 Regional score was second to Rockford/Sparta but third statewide last weekend, and Forest Hills also won a dual meet against the Rams this season. Seniors Hannah Esterman, Cassidy Terhorst and Christine Byam all scored 36 or higher all-around at the Division 1 Regional.
Farmington – Last season’s fifth-place finisher was fewer than two points out of third as well, and won its Regional last week with a score of 144.675. Farmington is seeking its first championship since a three-peat for Tri-Farmington from 2004-06, and finished third at White Lake Lakeland behind Canton and Howell. Farmington has a pair of Division 1 seniors in Brooke Rabban and Carina Wright – Wright finished 10th all-around last season – and a strong Division 2 group.
Howell – The Highlanders finished fourth last season, less than a point out of third, and beat 2015 third-place Grand Ledge in winning last weekend’s Regional with a score of 143.65. Howell finished ahead of Farmington at Lakeland and won the Lakes division of the Kensington Lakes Activities Association before finishing fourth at the all-KLAA meet – and is a contender despite having only one Division 1 individual in senior Kirsten Phifer but also a strong group of Division 2 contenders.
Rockford/Sparta – The Rams won last season’s championship by 1.75 points over Canton. With a number of their top gymnasts back, led by seniors Madi Myers and reigning Division 1 champ Morgan Korf, they have to be the favorite – and especially after posting a statewide high 148.950 to win the Regional. Rockford/Sparta also won the Lowell Invitational, Kenowa Hills Invitational and Canton Invitational, ahead of Canton at two events and Forest Hills United twice as well.
Division 1
Christine Byam, Forest Hills United junior – Competing against the one-two punch from Rockford/Sparta, Byam finished third at the Regional all-around (37.075) and won the vault (9.350).
Nicole Coughlin, Rockford/Sparta junior – She earned the sixth-place all-around spot at Kenowa Hills (36.200) but also was strong as a sophomore tying for fifth all-around at the Division 1 Final.
Katie Dickson, Canton sophomore – She finished 12th in Division 1 and second among Canton gymnasts a year ago, and led a strong group of Division 1 Regional finishers last weekend taking second (36.500) in her home gym with a second place on vault.
Rachel Hogan, Grand Ledge senior – The Comets’ standout has finished second and third, respectively, in Division 1 the last two seasons, missing out by only 0.375 points a year ago, and owns five individual event MHSAA titles. She posted a 38.075 at her Regional and won beam (9.500), bars (9.550) and vault (9.725).
Morgan Korf, Rockford/Sparta senior – The reigning Division 1 all-around champion finished first last year despite not placing higher than third in an individual event; she could add titles in a few of those this time too after finishing second at the Regional all-around (37.775) and second on beam and bars.
Margo Mekjian, Brighton senior – After finishing eighth at the Division 1 Final last season, Mekjian should be in the mix at the top coming off an impressive Regional; she was second all-around to Hogan (37.200) and won floor (9.550).
Haley Metz, Plymouth senior – She should make a giant jump this weekend after finishing 15th at the MHSAA Finals in Division 1 last year. Metz won the Regional all-around at Canton with a score of 36.975 and was first on beam (9.375) and bars (9.450).
Madi Myers, Rockford/Sparta senior – Injuries derailed her postseasons early in her career, but she played a huge role in last year’s team championship and finished ninth in Division 1. She might be the individual favorite this time after finishing just ahead of Korf at the Regional with an all-around of 38.275 and first places on floor (9.725), beam (9.550) and bars (9.725).
Isabelle Nguyen, Grosse Pointe United junior – Last season’s Division 1 runner-up by only 75 thousandths of a point, Nguyen finished among the top 10 on all four apparatus and should make a run at a number of titles. She won the all-around at Walled Lake Central's Regional with a 37.700 and was first on floor (9.400), beam (9.400) and bars (9.700).
Kirsten Phifer, Howell senior – One of only two seniors on the Highlanders’ roster, Phifer finished 11th all-round in Division 1 last season and third at last weekend’s Regional with a score of 36.525.
Brianne Smith, Port Huron freshman – Smith is set up for a strong high school career coming into her first Finals after finishing second to Nguyen at their Regional (36.300) and winning vault (9.300).
Cassidy Terhorst, Forest Hills United senior – The two-time reigning Division 2 champion moved up for her final season and took fourth at the Regional (36.300) at Kenowa Hills.
Division 2
Elisa Bills, Farmington sophomore – After finishing seventh at the Division 2 Final as a freshman, Bills is poised to move up coming off a Regional all-around title at Walled Lake Central (36.400) that included wins on floor (9.275) and bars (9.425).
Jacquelyn Farquhar, Farmington junior – She tied for ninth all-around at last season’s Final and also should make a move up this weekend. She finished second to teammate Bills all-around (35.525) and on bars at the Regional.
Maura Fitzpatrick, Lowell sophomore – She made the Finals on floor last season but is back all-around with a runner-up finish at Kenowa Hills (35.300) that included a first place on vault (9.175).
Hailey Hodgson, Canton senior – She’s finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at the last two Finals and came in third (35.725) behind Rhoad and Weak (see below) at this year’s Regional after two straight all-around titles at that level of the tournament.
Blake Hutchings, Linden/Fenton/Lake Fenton sophomore – A big jump is anticipated after Hutchings was 20th at last season’s Final; she won her Regional last week with a 36.650 and with first places on floor (9.525) and bars (8.950) and a second on beam.
Corah Kaufman, Lowell junior – The Red Arrows’ Regional champion last week entered this conversation with a winning 35.325 and a first place on bars (8.975) – she also took third on bars at last year’s Final.
Brianna Rhoad, Livonia Blue senior – After finishing sixth at the Final last year, Rhoad should be a favorite coming off a Regional championship at Canton against a strong field. She scored a 36.525 and won floor (9.675), beam (9.250) and finished second on vault.
Alyssa Walker, Howell junior – She followed up a Regional title and fourth-place Finals finish in 2015 by taking second to Hutchings last week with a score of 36.025.
Jessica Weak, Livonia Blue junior – Eighteenth at the Final in 2015 and eighth in 2014, she finished second to Rhoad at that strong Regional last weekend (35.950) and won bars (9.175).
Kacy Wolfram, Howell junior – She finished fourth at her Regional (35.500) but won the vault (9.55) and was eighth all-around at last season’s Final.
PHOTOS: Rockford/Sparta's Morgan Korf competes on the beam en route to winning last season's Division 1 title. (Click to see more at HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Preview: Championship Opportunities Await Several 1st-Time Contenders
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 10, 2022
Jackson Area capped an exciting return of the Gymnastics Finals last season with its first team championship. We’ll see this weekend if that was the beginning of a trend.
Two of four Regional champions from last week – Livonia Red and Bloomfield Hills – will be seeking their first Team Finals championship Friday at White Lake Lakeland. Last season’s Division 1 and 2 individual champions both graduated, guaranteeing first-time winners Saturday as well.
Team competition begins at 4 p.m. Friday, with individual competition in both Divisions 1 and 2 beginning at noon Saturday. Tickets cost $11 each day and are available exclusively via GoFan.
Below is a glance at several of this weekend’s contenders. (Click for both days’ rotations.)
TEAM CONTENDERS
Bloomfield Hills: The Black Hawks finished fifth at last season’s Final and are trending upward. They won their Regional last weekend, scoring 139.925 to edge Farmington United by nine tenths of a point. That was the team’s highest score of the year after it previously set a season high in winning its league competition in mid-February.
Grand Ledge: The Comets finished third last season and are seeking their first Finals championship since concluding a run of six straight in 2013. They won their Regional with a statewide-best score of 147.125 and also won championships this winter at the Rockford, Kenowa Hills and Coldwater invitationals.
Livonia Red: Another Regional champion, Livonia Red (made up of gymnasts from Churchill and Franklin) set a team scoring record winning that meet with a 146.350 – the second-highest statewide last weekend. Red also finished second at the prestigious Canton Invitational, which is annually considered a preview of the MHSAA Finals, and won the Walled Lake Invitational.
Rockford: The Rams have been runners-up the last two seasons (2021 and 2019, with 2020’s Finals canceled because of COVID-19) and are seeking their first title since winning the third of three straight in 2017. They won the Canton Invitational and also were Regional champs scoring 143.700 last weekend.
Fowlerville/Byron/Pinckney/Chelsea: The lone Regional runner-up in this group, FBPC finished second to Grand Ledge with a score of 144.200 and defeated the Comets in their dual meet during the regular season. FBPC also won the 20-team Jeanne Carruss Memorial Invitational at the end of January.
DIVISION 1
Avery Boyk, Livonia Red senior: She’s an all-around contender again after finishing sixth last season with a tie for second on uneven parallel bars. She won her Regional all-around last week at 37.750 with firsts on balance beam (9.175) and bars (9.750).
Alyssa Budd, Jackson Area junior: Budd, a student at Napoleon, tied for ninth on beam and seventh on floor exercise last season. She won floor (9.675) in finishing second all-around at her Regional (36.075).
Madeleine Loomis, East Lansing senior: She finished 12th all-around last season and could be in for a big career finish after winning her Regional all-around at 37.825 with firsts on floor (9.650) and beam (9.600).
Morgan Ruffing, Livonia Red junior: She finished third all-around last season, paced by a tie for second on vault and solo seventh on bars. She won floor (9.800) at her Regional and was among the top four in all four events on the way to finishing second all-around (37.200).
Lacey Scheid, Rockford junior: She missed winning last season’s Division 1 all-around title by five hundredths of a point and took first on bars. She won vault (9.150) and balance beam (9.175) on the way to claiming last week’s Regional all-around title with a 36.825.
Bronwen Smith, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Unified junior: Smith, a student at Forest Hills Central, finished third all-around at her Regional with a 35.750 and a first on bars (9.025).
Emma Stewart, Salem junior: She’s a likely contender in her first season of high school gymnastics, placing third at her Regional with an all-around 36.850 thanks to a second on bars and two more third places.
Katie Stewart, Salem sophomore: Emma’s sister, Katie Stewart won vault (9.400) and was second on beam (9.075) in finishing fourth all-around (36.375) at the Regional.
Maeve Wright, Bloomfield Hills senior: She was fifth all-around last year with a third on floor and sixth on beam, and she won the Division 1 beam as a freshman. She won beam (9.350) and floor (9.600) last week on the way to finishing first all-around (36.850) at her Regional.
Alaina Yaney, Grand Ledge junior: She tied for ninth on vault and was 22nd all-around in 2021, and could make a big jump Saturday. She finished first on vault (9.425) and bars (9.450) in taking second all-around (37.650) at her Regional.
DIVISION 2
Charlotte Calhoun, Coldwater sophomore: She finished third all-around at her Regional (35.200) with a win on bars (8.850).
Sydney Dunn, Canton sophomore: She was a Regional all-around runner-up (35.000) with top-five finishes on three apparatuses.
Joey Gair, Rockford senior: She tied for fourth on beam on the way to finishing 13th all-around at last season’s Finals, and she could move up coming off a fourth place all-around (35.025) at her Regional.
Courtney Jordan, Plymouth senior: She won bars (9.000) and floor (9.550) and tied for first on beam (9.100) in placing first all-around at her Regional with a 36.350.
Audrey Kane, Howell senior: She finished ninth on bars and tied for eighth on floor at last season’s Finals, and she could be an all-around contender after finishing third with a 36.000 at her Regional.
Sarah Litz, Fowlerville/Byron/Pinckney/Chelsea senior: She finished sixth all-around at her Regional last week (35.825) as the six qualifying scores were separated by only six tenths of a point. A student at Fowlerville, she was fifth all-around at last year’s Finals with top-nine finishes on vault, beam and floor.
Ivy McDonald, Lowell junior: A first on beam (9.300) helped her finish second all-around at her Regional (35.550). She took third on beam and finished 11th all-around at last year’s Finals.
Emma Olds, Grand Ledge senior: She enters off a Regional all-around championship (36.425) and first on bars (9.225). She tied for third on vault and fifth on floor and was 10th on bars in finishing sixth all-around at the 2021 Finals.
Kamini Playle, Farmington United senior: She was part of a team championship as a freshman in 2019 and could make a move individually after finishing 20th all-around last season. She was second all-around at last week’s Regional (35.725) with a first on floor (9.275) and three second places.
Addison Richmond, Jackson Area senior: Richmond, a student at Jackson, tied for ninth all-around at last season’s Finals with a first place on floor. She returns coming off a fifth-place Regional all-around finish (34.650).
Grace Spencer, Farmington United junior: A student at Farmington, Spencer won the all-around at last weekend’s Regional with a 36.000 and firsts on beam (9.250) and bars (8.975).
Maty Temrowski, Linden/Fenton/Lake Fenton senior: A student at Fenton, she tied for 14th on vault and also competed on beam at last year’s Finals. She could be in the all-around mix this time after placing second at her Regional (36.125).
Anna Tracey, Rockford senior: She was first on beam and second on floor in finishing second all-around at last season’s Finals. She returns coming off a Regional all-around championship (35.575) paced by second places on beam and bars.
PHOTO Livonia Red's Morgan Ruffing competes on balance beam during last season's Division 1 Individual Finals at Rockford High School. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)