Preview: Returning Contenders Lead 2023 Championship Chase
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 10, 2023
Last season saw first-time MHSAA Gymnastics Finals individual champions in both divisions and a first-time-in-a-few-years team title winner – and several 2022 contenders will fill the field again this weekend at White Lake Lakeland.
Reigning team champion Rockford posted the state’s highest Regional score last weekend, and the top three Division 1 all-around finishers from last season’s Final also return along with the 2022 Division 2 runner-up .
Team competition begins at 4 p.m. today, 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 some of the many contenders to watch:
Team
Hartland: The Eagles claimed their Regional last weekend with a 142.350 and are pursuing their first Finals championship since 1999, after finishing ninth last season. They placed five of the top nine in Division 1 all-around at the Regional, led by fourth-place Delaney Gomolka.
Howell: The Highlanders were runners-up to Hartland last weekend led by the second and third-place finishers in Division 1 all-around – Kayla Forsyth and Maria Petru, respectively, on the way to a score of 142.05. Howell is seeking its first Finals team title and didn’t qualify last season but finished ninth in 2021.
Jackson Area: The 2021 champion finished eighth last season but should be in contention again after placing second to Rockford at last week’s Regional with a 143.525 – the third-highest team Regional score overall. The team placed the second, third and fourth-place Division 1 all-around finishers last week and the runner-up in Division 2.
Farmington United: Farmington is seeking its first team championship since winning back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, and finished 10th last season. The team won its Regional last week with a score of 142.400 and placed the top two in Division 2 all-around, plus received Division 2 wins on vault from Elena Anzivino and balance beam from all-around champ Grace Spencer and placed the top three on uneven parallel bars led by Bella Thibodeau.
Rockford: The Rams emerged from runner-up in 2021 to champion last season and have remained the team to chase with wins at every event this season including the Canton Invitational, which often serves as something of a preview of the Finals. They won their Regional last week by more than three points with a 146.675 led by Division 1 all-around champion Lacey Scheid and Division 2 all-around winner Hailey Hill, who topped a group of five who finished among the top nine in that division.
Salem: The Rocks are seeking a first team championship since 1993 and won their Regional last weekend with a 144.950 – 3½ points better than the field and four points higher than when they placed fifth at last season’s Final. Salem put 13 gymnasts in events last weekend and placed Katie Stewart and Emma Stewart first and second all-around, respectively, in Division 1 and Anna Barczyk second in Division 2.
Division 1
Alyssa Budd, Jackson Area senior: After earning two top-10 Finals event places as a sophomore, she finished 10th all-around in Division 1 last season and should climb again after taking second at last week’s Regional with a 36.650 with second places on all four apparatus.
Kayla Forsyth, Howell senior: She’s an all-around contender after finishing second at her Regional with a 37.125, only 0.375 of a point off the lead and while winning bars (9.45) and tying for first on vault (9.625).
Allie Mattes, Grosse Pointe United sophomore: She debuted at the Finals last season with a 22nd-place all-around finish in Division 1, and she’s set to make a move after winning her Regional last week with a 34.250.
Maria Petru Howell junior: After competing in two events and winning the Division 2 championship on bars last season, Petru moved up to Division 1 and placed third at her Regional last week with a 36.950 that included a first place on beam (9.30).
Lia Pinkosky, Canton junior: She also competed in Division 2 last season, finishing 16th all-around and then making the jump this winter. She finished fourth all-around at her Regional last week at 36.275, keyed by a second place on beam.
Morgan Ruffing, Livonia Red senior: The reigning Division 1 all-around champion truly was an all-around standout at the 2022 Finals with a best event finish of second but top-five places in all four. She finished third at her Regional last week at 36.550 with firsts on floor exercise (9.60), vault (9.675) and bars (9.40).
Lacey Scheid, Rockford senior: She finished second all-around as a sophomore and third last season with first places on beam and floor. She’ll make another run at the championship after winning her Regional with a 38.100 and firsts on all four apparatus – vault (9.60), bars (9.55), beam (9.325) and floor (9.625).
Emma Stewart, Salem senior: She posted a seventh-place all-around finish last winter, and finished second at a loaded Regional last week at 36.600 and with a win on beam (9.375).
Katie Stewart, Salem junior: She finished a place ahead of her sister Emma to win last week’s Regional with a 37.150 and finished a place behind Emma at last year’s Final, eighth all-around.
Alaina Yaney, Grand Ledge senior: Last season’s Division 1 runner-up finished a half point behind Ruffing and won vault. She’ll pursue the championship again coming off a Regional title (37.550) with firsts on floor (9.60) and vault (9.625).
Division 2
Lydia Beaton, Grand Ledge junior: Last season’s Division 2 all-around runner-up missed out on the championship by just 0.175 of a point after winning floor and vault. She won her Regional this time with a 35.700 including first places on bars (8.65), vault (9.15) and floor (9.25).
Charlotte Calhoun, Coldwater junior: She placed 15th all-around in 2022 and enters this weekend off a fifth place and 35.625 from the highest-scoring Regional in Division 2 – where she also won bars (9.325) by nearly half a point.
Alex Cinzori, Plymouth junior: After making the Finals last season on bars and finishing 15th, she advanced this time as a Regional all-around champion with a score of 35.350 and first place on floor (9.625).
Elena Hale, Huron Valley United junior: She also was a single-event qualifier last season, on floor, but will return this weekend competing all-around after a third-place Regional finish with a score of 35.225 and first place on floor (9.425).
Hailey Hill, Rockford junior: She posted the highest Regional all-around score in Division 2 last week at 36.000 with sixth places or higher on every apparatus. She competed at last year’s Finals on floor (tied for 13th), bars and vault.
Ivy McDonald, Lowell senior: She finished 11th all-around as a sophomore and tied for 11th last season, and was fourth all-around at her Regional last week at 35.675 with a co-championship on beam (9.30).
Addi Richmond, Jackson area junior: She tied for ninth all-around as a sophomore and finished 10th last winter, and returns having finished runner-up to Hill at their Regional with a 35.850 and first place on floor (9.55).
Grace Spencer, Farmington United senior: She’ll be in the mix again after tying for eighth all-around last season and coming off a second-straight Regional championship (36.200) that included a first on beam (9.55).
Bella Thibodeau, Farmington United sophomore: She finished second to Spencer at their Regional with an all-around 35.300 and first place on bars (8.75) after competing in that event at last year’s Finals.
Katie Tracey, Rockford sophomore: She finished 18th all-around last season and could move up substantially after placing third at last week’s Regional with a 35.825 and sharing a balance beam championship with McDonald (9.300).
PHOTO From left, Rockford’s Lacey Scheid, Livonia Red’s Morgan Ruffing and Grand Ledge’s Alaina Yaney finished third, first and second, respectively, at last season’s Division 1 all-around competition. All three will compete again this weekend. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
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.)