Gymnastics: Melrose edges Cardinals
Tribune Staff Report
WILLMAR -- Melrose senior Hailey Brinkman and her little friends put on a show at the Kennedy gym on Tuesday, the Willmar Cardinals home finale on Parents Night.
The No. 1 team in Class A scored 149.60 far outpacing the Cardinals, who nonetheless tallied a season-best 142.55.
The Melrose score was the highest ever in the Kennedy setting, according to Willmar head coach Larry Selchow.
Willmar's score should move it from No. 10 in Class A up to No. 4 in the Coaches Association listing.
The Dutchmen's previous best, according to rankings, is 147.250.
Hailey Brinkman is the only senior on the team with no juniors and which gets substantial imput from a couple of 7th graders, plus sophomore Jailyn Brinkman and freshman Lydia Butkowski.
Best individual finishes for Willmar were Cassie Johnson's tie for first in vault (9.6) and second places by Stephan Thompson on beam (9.4) and Abbey Weiler on floor (9.5) followed by Johnson in third (9.4).
Weiler, a fourth year all-arounder for the Cardinals, is Willmar's lone senior and Johnson the only junior.
Hailey Brinkman, third at state in all-around as a junior, last night won bars, beam, floor and all-around (38.55).
Melrose 149.60, Willmar 142.55
ALL-AROUND -- (1) Hailey Brinkman, Mel, 38.55 (2) Jailyn Brinkman, Mel, 37.325 (3) Lydia Butkowski, Mel, 37.275 (4) Abbey Weiler, Wil, 36.55 (5) Stephanie Thompson, Wil, 36.0 (6) Mady Brinkman, Mel, 35.9 (7) Cassie Johnson, Wil, 35.85
VAULT -- (1) tie, Johnson, Butkowski, both 9.6 (3) J. Brinkman 9.55 (4) H. Brinkman 9.55 ... (6) Thompson 9.3 (7) Weiler 9.3 (9) Sam Goeser 8.9 (10) Maddie Lindblad 8.85
BARS -- (1) H. Brinkman 9.725 (2) J. Brinkman 9.575 (3) Butkowski 9.1 (4) Weiler 8.7 ... (6) Thompson 8.35 (7) Johnson 8.15 (99) Goeser 7.7 (10) Nicole Marshall 6.95
BEAM -- (1) H. Brinkman 9.55 (2) Thompson 9.4 (3) Butkowski 9.25 (4) Weiler 9.05 (5) J. Brikman 9.05 ... (8) Johnson 8.7 (9) HaleyMottinger 8.5 (10) Lindblad 8.1
FLOOR -- (1) H. Brinkman 9.725 (2) Weiler 9.5 (3) Johnson 9.4 (4) M. Brinkman 9.35 (5) Butkowski 9.325 ... (8) Lindblad 9.05 (9) Thompson 8.95 (10) Mottinger 8.85
