The Kernel gymnastics team continued its undefeated streak in its first meet of the season.
After not losing a meet last season and claiming the Class AA state title, Mitchell didn't miss a beat Monday. The Kernels totaled a team score of 142.75, beating Yankton (130.95) and Ethan/Parkston/Hanson (116.7).
"It's always good to get the ball rolling for the season," Mitchell head coach Audra Rew said. "There was a lot of difficulty added for the first meet."
The Kernels had four gymnasts compete in the all-around Monday, taking the top four places. Mitchell junior Quinci Herll won the all-around with a 36.85. She also won vault (9.5) and beam (9.05).
In all-around, eighth-grader Maria Krall was second with a 35.0, followed by junior Emily Prill (34.6), senior Rebecca Sadler (34.5) and Ethan/Parkston/Hanson eighth-grader McKenzie Prunty (33.15).
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Sadler won beam with an 8.9, while Dierks, who is battling an elbow injury, won floor with a 9.6.
"For her to come back and redo a whole floor routine was really exciting," Rew said. "She's worked really hard and deserved it."
Rew was also happy with the performance of Krall, who's added difficulty on several events.
"I was happy to see an eighth grader step up like that," Rew said. "Seeing those younger kids stepping up is what keeps us good in the future. It makes us deeper and pushes the older girls. That's what every coach wants to see."
Mitchell struggled on balance beam Monday, scoring at least 1.5 points less than it did on the other events. Rew said she expects the performances to pick up as the season continues.
"Beam is always rough in the first meet, and hopefully, we got all of our beam jitters out," she said. "I'm hoping they have that out of their system because they've been looking good in practice."
The Kernels are back in action Friday at the Lolly Forseth Invite in Sioux Falls. The meet begins at 4 p.m. at Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
Muntefering happy with team's first showing
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Monday's meet was the first for Ethan/Parkston/Hanson in program history.
"I think it went great," first-year coach Bridget Muntefering said. "Everyone went in with a positive attitude. For every meet, we'll continue to get better and better. Having fun tonight, was all I cared about."
The team had eight gymnasts compete Monday and all were freshman or younger. Ethan/Parkston/Hanson had four all-arounders, including Prunty, who took fifth. Others were seventh-graders Jada Plastow (31.5) and Tyra Zens (28.8) and freshman Kailey Feiner (22.1).
Prunty, Plastow and Zens have had past experience competing for MEGA, a club team that is run out of Mitchell and coached by Rew. Muntefering said those three have guided some of the beginners on the team.
"We have a very young team," she said. "With that experience, it calms the newer girls down quite a bit. They are leaders and show confidence."
Mitchell triangular
Monday at Mitchell High School
Team: 1. Mitchell 142.75; 2. Yankton 130.95; 3. Ethan/Parkston/Hanson 116.7.
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All-around (top 8): 1. Quinci Herll, M, 36.65; 2. Maria Krall, M, 35.0; 3. Emily Prill, M, 34.6; 4. Rebecca Sadler, M, 34.5; 5. McKenzie Prunty, EPH, 33.15; 6. Kaitlin Guthmiller, Y, 32.95; 7. Haleigh Diede, Y, 32.55; 8. Jada Plastow, EPH, 31.5.
Vault (top 10): 1. Herll, M, 9.5; 2. Krall, M, 9.3; T3. Cameron Specht, Y, 9.2; T3. Diede, Y, 9.2; T5. Ellie Rew, M, 9.1; T5. Prill, M, 9.1; T5. Plastow, EPH, 9.1; T5. Sophie Bisgard, Y, 9.1; T9. Jaiden Boomsma, Y, 8.7; T9. MacKenzie Gauger, M, 8.7; T9. Madison Arnold, M, 8.7; T9. Prunty, EPH, 8.7.
Bars (top 10): 1. Sadler, M, 8.9; 2. Herll, M, 8.65; 3. Krall, M, 8.6; T4. Bailey Roden, M, 8.35; T4. Prill, M, 8.35; T4. Prunty, EPH, 8.35; 7. Rew, M, 8.3; 8. Arnold, M, 8.25; T9. Diede, Y, 8.0; T9. Samantha Kortan, Y, 8.0.
Beam (top 10): 1. Herll, M, 9.05; 2. Rew, M, 8.2; 3. Sadler, M, 7.95; 4. Diede, Y, 7.8; T5. Krall, M, 7.7; T5. Prunty, EPH, 7.7; T7. Prill, M, 7.65; T7. Guthmiller, Y, 7.65; 9. Roden, M, 7.4; 10. Boomsma, Y, 7.2.
Floor (top 10): 1. Dierks, M, 9.6; 2. Prill, M, 9.5; T3. Herll, M, 9.45; T3. Sadler, M, 9.45; 5. Krall, M, 9.4; 6. Roden, M, 9.1; T7. Guthmiller, Y, 8.8; T7. Gauger, M, 8.8; T9. Plastow, EPH, 8.55; T9. Bisgard, Y, 8.55.
