Kernels score season-high at Mitchell Invite Saturday

The Mitchell gymnastics team put up its best score of season at the Mitchell Invitational Saturday.

The Kernels scored a 141.35 and finished in fourth place, but Mitchell’s score far exceeded its best score of the season, which was 139.525 points at the Aberdeen Central Invitational on Dec. 10.

Mitchell coach Audra Rew said the team’s score has been a reflection of the consistency the team is showing.

“I am really happy about their consistent performances, and in gymnastics, that is very hard to do,” she said.

Rew said the girls performed close to the same routines they have all year so far.

“I came very close to having the girls show some new skills, but I felt if they didn’t hit them, it would shake their confidence, so I am glad our scores went up,” she said. “I am excited for Christmas break. We are going to add some skills and it will give us plenty of time to work on the new skills before state.”

Rapid City Central won the Mitchell Invite with 149.85 points. Watertown finished second with 145.625 points. O’Gorman, which Mitchell finished ahead of last week in Aberdeen, finished in third place with 141.375 points.

According to Rew, a gymnast can lose a tenth of a point if she does not point her toes.

“It was by a fourth of a toe point. It was very close and I knew it was going to be close,” Rew said of O’Gorman finishing ahead of Mitchell by the close margin. “We know what we are going to need to change to keep up with them … If we can get a few more tenths, then we are going to be able to go ahead of O’Gorman and hopefully be the third best team going into state.”

Rew said the team had a solid day on the beam, the floor exercise and the vault. The Kernels scored 36.30 points on the vault, 35.775 points on the floor exercise and 35.35 points on the balance beam.

On uneven parallel bars, Mitchell scored 33.925 points.

“Bars are always tough to score on and always tougher to get bonus scores,” Rew said. “The girls have clean routines, and I have to be careful not to overload the kids because it could cost you more points.”

Rebecca Sadler was Mitchell’s highest finisher in the all-around. She scored 35.90 points and finished in 10th place.

Sadler finished in ninth place in the bars with a score of 8.95 points. Ellie Rew had her highest scores on the balance beam and the floor exercise. She scored 9.15 points on the beam and finished in 8th place, and Rew finished in 12th place in the floor exercise with 9.175 points.

Quinci Herll finished in 11th place on the vault with 9.15 points.

“We have three kids and anyone of those three can be our top scorers,” Audra Rew said. “It’s nice to see it spread around, and it shows the consistency of our team.”

Mitchell Invitation

Team scores: 1. Rapid City Central 149.85; 2. Watertown 145.625; 3. Sioux Falls O’Gorman 141.375; 4. Mitchell 141.35; 5. Madison 141.10; 6. Pierre 136.475; 7. Huron 133.375; 8. Aberdeen Central 130.75; 9. Brookings 130.60; 10. Yankton/Bon Homme 128.025; 11. Rapid City Stevens 86.125; 12. Sioux Falls Lincoln 64.95.

Bars: T9. Rebecca Sadler (M) 8.95; 12. Quinci Herll (M) 8.675; 20. Ellie Rew (M) 8.30; 20. Nicole Wittstruck (M) 8.00; 34. Josie Dierks (M) 7.90.

Beam: T8. Rew (M) 9.15; 11. Sadler (M) 9.10; 20. Herll 8.725; 26. Bailey Eidahl (M) 8.375; 54. Wittstruck (M) 6.225.

Floor: 12. Rew (M) 9.175; 15. Herll (M) 9.00; T21. Wittstruck (M) 8.85; 27. Sadler (M) 8.75; 33. Eidahl (M) 8.575.

Vault: T11. Herll (M) 9.15; T15. Eidahl, Sadler 9.10; 22. Wittstruck (M) 8.90.

All-Around: 10. Sadler (M) 35.90; 12. Rew (M) 35.575; 13. Herll (M) 35.55; Wittstruck (M) 31.975.

Tags: sports, updates, kernels, gymnastics