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WILLMAR — The Willmar Cardinals’ gymnastics team fell short against Sartell, dropping its first meet of the season on Thursday.
Willmar lost to the Sabres, who won the Class AA state title in 2021, 130.975-130.200. The Cardinals scored 34.025 on vault, 32.250 on uneven bars, 32.175 on floor and 31.750 on balance beam.
“I felt it was a more start-to-finish performance. Our first meet was a little rough on beam and we pulled it together,” Willmar head coach Torrie Heitzman said. “I felt the girls went vault, bars, beam and floor and really put a meet together tonight as a team, so I am really proud of them for that.”
Sartell’s Allyson Tromburg won the all-around competition, scoring 32.600. Willmar freshman Carlee Brown and senior Kim Joneson trailed in second and third place at 32.575 and 32.200.
Joneson earned the beam title with an 8.425. Brown’s highest scoring routine came on vault (8.500).
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“Our bars squad is really getting consistent and squeeze in a lot of tenths in their routines,” Heitzman said. “I am really proud of the way they’re working the bars, swinging consistently and with strength. As a team, our bars work is something to highlight.”
Willmar had the top-three finishers on bars. Senior Lyndi Koosman took first place with an 8.500. Joneson and Brown followed suit with scores of 8.125 and 8.100.
Alongside first-place finishes by Joneson and Koosman, freshman Mallory Beier took home the floor title, scoring 8.400.
“Whatever happens with scores or placements is just icing on the cake for us as a coaching staff, making sure the girls are happy and healthy and wanting to come everyday and celebrate gymnastics as a whole,” Heitzman said.
As Willmar struggled on balance beam in its first meet, some of those struggles continued. A couple of slips helped Sartell pick up 0.650 of a point on the apparatus.
Willmar takes on the Litchfield Dragons at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Litchfield High School.
Sartell 130.975, Willmar 130.200
ALL-AROUND — (1) Allyson Tromburg, S, 32.600 (2) Carlee Brown, W, 32.575 (3) Kim Joneson, W, 32.200
VAULT — (1) Lainey Stavish, S, 9.600 (2) Mallory Beier, W, 8.950 (3) Tromburg, S, 8.725
BARS — (1) Lyndi Koosman, W, 8.500 (2) Joneson, W, 8.125 (3) Brown, W, 8.100
BEAM — (1) Joneson, W, 8.425 (1) Shayla Scepaniak, S, 8.425 (3) Elizabeth Jarnot, S, 8.100
FLOOR — (1) Beier, W, 8.400 (2) Kendra Deragisch, S, 8.275 (3) Tromburg, S, 8.200
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Benson/KMS 132.775, Paynesville/EVW 111.775
Libby McGeary took first in all four events and won the all-around competition to lead Benson/Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg to the victory over Paynesville/Eden Valley-Watkins at Paynesville.
“After having our first meet canceled last weekend, we were eager to compete tonight,” Benson/KMS head coach Kathy Ahrndt said. “I was very proud of our team’s first performance of the season.”
McGeary scored 36.175 in the all-around. She won the vault with a 9.2, the uneven parallel bars with a 9.025, the balance beam with an 8.55 and the floor exercise with a 9.4.
Bekah Walz of Paynesville/EVW finished third in the all-around with 31.0 points.
ALL-AROUND — (1) Libby McGeary, BKMS, 36.175 … (2) Gwen Wilcox, BKMS, 31.475 … (3) Bekah Walz, PEVW, 31.0.
VAULT — (1) L. McGeary, BKMS, 9.2 … (2) Sophie Hilleren, BKMS, 8.5 … (3) Mya McGeary, BKMS, 8.4.
BARS — (1) L. McGeary, BKMS, 9.025 … (2) Elise Duncan, BKMS, 7.875 … (3) Olivia Noble, BKMS 7.525.
BEAM — (1) L. McGeary, BKMS, 8.55 … (2) Hilleren, BKMS, 8.20 … (3) Walz, PEVW, 8.15.
FLOOR — (1) L. McGeary, BKMS, 9.4 … (2) Noble, BKMS, 8.55 … (3) Hilleren, BKMS, 8.350
