In early December, Decatur Golden Gator gymnastics coach Jennifer Hunt said the goal was to have the program compete for a state championship this year.
At the time, Hunt said she felt a handful of gymnasts on her team were more than capable of competing for a state championship, but it was two of Hunt’s captains, Catherine Huynh and Sydney Victor, who earned a spot on the Tacoma Dome floor on Feb. 17.
“We are very proud of Catherine and all of the Gator gymnasts for their hard work this season,” Hunt said. “Catherine earned her place as one of the top beam performers in the state gymnastics meet with her consistency and hard work.”
Huynh earned a spot in the balance beam final on Feb. 18 after she took ninth in the qualifying round the day before.
The pressure was on.
In order to qualify for the finals, Huynh had to perform a near-perfect balance beam routine. Hunt said her work on the beam was as impressive as it has been all season.
Everything came down to the dismount, and, just like her routine, Huynh’s landing was just as impressive. Not only did she stick the landing, she received her highest beam score of the season.
“To qualify for event finals she stuck a beautiful beam routine and scored a 9.275, her highest all season and keeping her among the top 10 all day,” Hunt said.
In the finals, Huynh took 14th with a final score of 8.225. Huynh attempted to reach the finals in the uneven bars (57), floor (76) and vault (54), but she did not qualify.
Huynh’s teammate Victor qualified for state on the balance beam. She tied for 68th on Feb. 17, which did not qualify her for the finals.
FEDERAL WAY
The Federal Way Eagles had the most gymnasts qualify for state on Feb. 17. Polly Tieu, Rebecca Tetu and Julia Sordahl all earned the opportunity to compete for a state championship on the vault. Tieu had the highest score as she tied for 48th with a score of 8.475. Tetu tied for 68th with a score of 8.300, and Sordahl tied for 72nd with a score of 8.275. The trio did not qualify for the state finals on Feb. 18.
TODD BEAMER
Todd Beamer Titans gymnast Lillie Lyons went all out this year for Beamer gymnastics.
As a result, Lyons was invited to the state tournament and competed in all four major events in the qualifying round on Feb. 17: uneven bars, balance beam, floor and vault. Lyons had her best score of the afternoon on the balance beam. She finished tied for 48th with a score of 8.150. She tied for 74th on vault, 78th on the floor and 91st on the uneven bars. The scores did not allow her to reach the finals on Feb. 18.
Her teammate Madison Heck also qualified for state competition and competed in the uneven bars and floor. She finished tied for 46th on the bars and 41st on the floor, which did not qualify her for the finals.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
The Thomas Jefferson Raiders sent freshman Jaleia Knowles to the state tournament to compete in the vault. Knowles finished 86th on Feb. 17 in the qualifying round. She did not advance to the finals the following day.
