RAPID CITY -- Four Aberdeen Central gymnasts joined the parade to the medal stand on Saturday at the individual portion of the State AA Gymnastics Meet.
Champions were crowned in all four individual events and all around, and medals were awarded to the top 20 competitors in each category.
Lynne Hanten, senior at Watertown, won the balance beam with a mark of 9.75. Two Christensen sisters from Rapid City Central gathered up the rest of the individual honors. Eighth-grader Chelsey Christensen won the floor exercise with a score of 9.85. Junior Colette Christensen took highest honors in the uneven bars (9.85), vault (9.8) and all around (38.775). Chelsey Christensen finished second in the all around, just .5 behind her sister.
The Golden Eagles picked up medals in three individual events and the all around. Junior Alexis Clark tied for 16th in the vault with an 8.9, tied for 20th in the floor exercise with 9.0 and tied for 20th in the bars with 8.475. Senior Larissa Swanson finished her career with a bang and a 16th-place tie in the vault at 8.9. Aimee Padgett finished 15th on the uneven bars with a mark of 8.7.
"They all did really good," said Aberdeen coach Jennifer Deutsch. "You get a little nervous about how the girls will respond after a long day (Friday) and a new set up. I was worried that they would be fatigued, but they were fine. That's a tribute to the conditioning we did and the confidence we have in our skills. I told the girls, 'This is your day. Go out and do the best for you.' "
The highest placer on the day for the Golden Eagles was Taylor Schweitzer with a 9.2 on vault for a fifth-place tie.
"Alexis had a great day and Aimee did a good job. Taylor got in the top five which is awesome. Larissa, our senior, had a great meet. She did her best. She's content with how she went out. It was a very fun day."
Other Aberdeen competitors were Tessa Kimbler on uneven bars, Hannah Langbehn in floor exercise and Jenny Janish on vault.
"Tessa had a great routine," said Deutsch. "Being able to compete on individual day as an eighth-grader is awesome. Hannah did a great job like normal and Jenny vaulted well."
|STATE AA GYMNASTICS|
|Saturday at Rapid City|
|Individual Championships|
|Medalists -- Top 20|
BALANCE BEAM: 1. Lynne Hanten, Watertown, 9.75; 2. (Tie) Krisia Bramer and Lexy Morris, Watertown, 9.4; 4. (Tie) Abby Thuringer, SF O'Gorman and Colette Christensen, RC Central, 9.35; 6. McKinsey Kost, RC Central, 9.325; 7. Chelsey Christensen, RC Central, 9.25; 8. Alaina Klapperich, RC Central, 9.175; 9. (Tie) Abbey Cerny, Watertown, and Kati Rath, RC Stevens, 9.05. 11. Quinci Herll, Mitchell, 9.025; 12. Ashley Solano, RC Central, 8.825; 13. Sydney Torgrude, SF Lincoln, 8.75; 14. Emily Prill, Mitchell, 8.7; 15. Brandee Roach, RC Central, 8.55; 16. Holly Fahrenwald, Brookings, 8.475; 17. Ellie Rew, Mitchell, 8.4; 18. Jordan Waldner, Huron, 8.375; 19. (Tie) Jamie Benedict, SF O'Gorman, and Nicole Wittstruck, Mitchell, 8.325.
FLOOR EXERCISE: 1. Chelsey Christensen, RC Central, 9.85; 2. Colette Christensen, RC Central, 9.775; 3. Brandee Roach, RC Central, 9.65; 4. (Tie) Lynne Hanten, Watertown; Abby Thuringer, SF O'Gorman and Alexis Gannon, Brookings, 9.6; 7. Jamie Benedict, SF O'Gorman, 9.55; 8. (Tie) McKinsey Kost, RC Central, and Sydney Torgrude, SF Lincoln, 9.45; 10. Krisia Bramer, Watertown, 9.425. 11. (Tie) Nicole Wittstruck and Quinci Herll, Mitchell, 9.35; 13. Jordan Fox, Watertown, 9.225; 14. Melissa Bobby, Pierre, 9.175; 15. Kelsey King, Huron, 9.15; 16. Emily Prill, Mitchell, 9.125; 17. (Tie) Alaina Klapperich, RC Central, and Ellie Rew, Mitchell, 9.075; 19. Shelby Spelbring, Pierre, 9.025; 20. (Tie) Alexis Clark, Aberdeen Central; Hailey McCune, Huron and Kati Rath, RC Stevens, 9.0.
UNEVEN BARS: 1. Colette Christensen, RC Central, 9.85; 2. Krisia Bramer, Watertown, 9.8; 3. Chelsey Christensen, RC Central, 9.7; 4. Taylor Kelsey, SF O'Gorman, 9.175; 5. Sydney Torgrude, SF Lincoln, 8.975; 6. (Tie) Quinci Herll and Rebecca Sadler, Mitchell, 8.925; 8. (Tie) Charlotte Taggart, Yankton-Bon Homme and Jordan Fox, Watertown, 8.9; 10. Kati Rath, RC Stevens, 8.875. 11. Ellie Rew, Mitchell, 8.85; 12. McKinsey Kost, RC Central, 8.775; 13. (Tie) Abby Thuringer, SF O'Gorman, and Logan Haggerty, RC Stevens, 8.725; 15. Aimee Padgett, Aberdeen Central, 8.7; 16. Mara Dobrenski, Brookings, 8.55; 17. (Tie) Brandee Roach, RC Central and Shelby Spelbring and Sydney Gutenkauf, Pierre, 8.525; 20. (Tie) Alexis Clark, Aberdeen Central; Alexis Gannon, Brookings and Kelsey King, Huron, 8.475.
VAULT: 1. Colette Christensen, RC Central, 9.8; 2. Chelsey Christensen, RC Central, 9.485; 3. Abby Thuringer, SF O'Gorman, 9.4; 4. Quinci Herrll, Mitchell, 9.375; 5. (Tie) McKinsey Kost, RC Central and Taylor Schweitzer, Aberdeen Central, 9.2; 7. Lynne Hanten, Watertown, 9.175; 8. (Tie) Alaina Klapperich, RC Central, and Holly Fahrenwald, Brookings, 9.15; 10. Kati Rath, RC Stevens, 9.1. 11. Alexis Gannon, Brookings, 9.05; 12. Sami Swedlund, Brookings, 9.0; 13. Ellie Rew, Mitchell, 8.975; 14. Mikkalyn Konzem, SF Roosevelt, 8.95; 15. Ashley Solano, RC Central, 8.925; 16. (Tie) Alexis Clark and Larissa Swanson, Aberdeen Central, and Josie Dierks, Mitchell, 8.9; 19. Nicole Wittstruck, Mitchell, 8.8; 20. Brandee Roach, RC Central, 8.775.
ALL-AROUND: 1. Colette Christensen, RC Central, 38.775; 2. Chelsey Christensen, RC Central, 38.275; 3. Abby Thuringer, SF O'Gorman, 37.075; 4. Krisia Bramer, Watertown, 36.925; 5. McKinsey Kost, RC Central, 36.75; 6. Quinci Herll, Mitchell, 36.675; 7. (Tie) Lynne Hanten, Watertown, and Kati Rath, RC Stevens, 36.025; 9. Brandee Roach, RC Central, 35.5; 10. Ellie Rew, Mitchell, 35.3. 11. Alexis Gannon, Brookings, 35.25; 12. Sydney Torgrude, SF Lincoln, 35.2; 13. (Tie) Holly Fahrenwald, Brookings, and Nicole Wittstruck, Mitchell, 34.55; 15. Rebecca Sadler, Mitchell, 34.525; 16. Taylor Kelsey, SF O'Gorman, 34.4; 17. Abbey Cerny, Watertown, 34.35; 18. Alexis Clark, Aberdeen Central, 34.275; 19. Shelby Spelbring, Pierre, 34.25; 20. Elsie Kotalik, Yankton-Bon Homme, 33.85.