MHS gymnastics finishes fourth at invite

SIOUX FALLS — Despite scoring almost a full point lower than it did in the season-opening meet, Mitchell High School gymnastics coach Audra Rew is happy with the team’s progress after Saturday’s Lolly Forseth Invitational, hosted by Sioux Falls Lincoln High School.

Mitchell finished in fourth place with 137.875 points. The Kernels scored 138.70 points during a triangular Nov. 28 in Mitchell.

Watertown won the invite with a score of 143.775.

But Rew is happy with how the invite went.

“It’s early in the season, and I am happy with the progress we are making in certain areas,” she said. “We really improved our points on the floor and the vault.

“We did well on bars and the beam, but we weren’t quite as clean. I know the girls can do it and I know they know they can do it.”

Mitchell scored 35.925 points on the vault and 35.40 points on the floor exercise, compared to 33.225 points on the uneven bars and 33.325 points on the balance beam.

“Being in a big meet, the girls were nervous,” Rew said. “The girls were a bit wobbly. They are going to fall, and I would rather have that early in the season.”

Rew said there was another reason her team’s score was a bit lower than last time.

“I thought the judges scored tighter than the first meet,” she said. “I feel they were very particular.”

But having the judges be a little tighter with the scores shows the Kernels where they can pick up points, Rew said.

“I feel like if we clean things up, it will improve our scores quite a bit,” she said. “We were one point lower (than last time) and made quite a few mistakes on two events.

“So if we fix those mistakes, we are right in the hunt, and I am happy with that.”

Quinci Herll was Mitchell’s highest finisher in the all around. She scored 35.40 points and finished in eighth place. Mitchell’s Ellie Rew finished in a tie for ninth place in the all around with 34.625 points.

“Those two had great days and it was very exciting,” Audra Rew said.

Ellie Rew medaled in the vault competition. She tied for sixth with 9.125 points.

Mitchell’s next meet is Tuesday at a triangular in Yankton against Sioux Falls Lincoln and Yankton/Bon Homme.

Lolly Forseth Invitational

Saturday in Sioux Falls

Team: 1. Watertown 143.775; 2. RC Central 142.25; 3. SF O’Gorman 139.15; 4. Mitchell 137.875; 5. Brookings 131.875; 6. SF Roosevelt 130.725; 7. SF Lincoln 130.30; 8. Yankton/Bon Homme 127.275; 9. SF Washington 107.60.

Vault: T6. Ellie Rew 9.125; Rebecca Sadler 9.10; 13. Quinci Herll 8.90; 14. Bailey Eidahl 8.80; T15. Nicole Wittstruck

Uneven Bars: T12, Quinci Herll 8.65; 16. Ellie Rew 8.575; 24. Rebecca Sadler 8.10; T26. Nicole Wittstruck 7.90; 42. Josie Dierks 6.325.

Beam: 9. Quinci Herll 8.875; 14. Bailey Eidahl 8.325; 16. Ellie Rew 8.125; 21. Rebecca Sadler 8.00; T22. Nicole Wittstruck 7.85.

Floor: 9. Quinci Herll 8.975; T10. Rebecca Sadler 8.875; 13. Ellie Rew 8.80; 14. Nicole Wittstruck 8.75; 35. Bailey Eidahl 7.725.

All Around: 8. Quinci Herll 35.40; T9. Ellie Rew 34.625; 14. Rebecca Sadler 34.075; 19. Nicole Wittstruck 33.25.

Tags: sports, updates, kernels, gymnastics