Gerstner recorded a 37.7 all-around score by placing first on vault (9.7), first on bars (9.475), and first on beam (9.25), and capturing third place on floor with a 9.275. Flores finished in second place behind teammate Gerstner in the all-around scoring with a 37.275, including a 9.45 floor routine.
The one-two finish for Gerstner and Flores reverses their standings from last month’s Chicago Style meet at Navy Pier, where Flores edged out Gerstner for the all-around gold medal.
Both Gerstner and Flores compete in the 12 & under age division.
In the 13 & older age division, Benak won gold on vault (9.5), bars (9.35), and floor (9.45). While a fall on beam kept her out of the standings on that event, her three wins were enough to capture the all-around gold medal with a score of 37.05.
The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA level 6 team placed third in the statewide meet behind second and third place all-around finishes, respectively, by Samantha Neddo and Kayla Jackson. Jackson placed second on vault and bars and third on beam and floor, while Neddo won gold for her bars routine, placed second on beam and floor, and finished third on vault. Rachel Ovalle’s second place 9.45 vault added just enough to earn the level 6 Y team a third place bronze all-around medal.
“We have a pretty deep team,” said coach Jennifer Van Deinse. “Annie (Gerstner), Kendra (Benak), and Francie (Flores) performed well, but we are fortunate to have big scorers right behind them in Kayla (Jackson), Sam (Neddo), and Rachel (Ovalle). When Olivia (Flores) and the Davis twins (Amy and Patricia) come back from their injuries, we’ll be even deeper, and we’ll need that depth at state.”
The level 5 gymnastics state meet will be held May 6 - 8 in Freeland, the level 6 gymnastics state meet will be held here in Traverse City April 29 – May 1, while the level 7 state meet is scheduled for May 13 – 15 in Kalamazoo.
The YMCA team has another wave of gymnasts right on the heels of the level 6 competitors, and they combined to win two second place all-around medals and three first place event medals for the Traverse City team.
Nine year old Jade Turner won beam and floor for a second place 36.375 all-around score, and Darby Drake won beam en route to her second place all-around finish in the 8 & under division. The other level 5 gymnasts include Annemarie Jenkins, Kayla Brady, and Sierra Klein.
The YMCA gymnasts compete next in Hartland, Michigan.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about gymnastics, you can call Betsy Van Deinse at the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA at 231-929-2869 or their website at www.gtbayymca.org.
“It’s more than just a membership … It’s the YMCA!”
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From left to right: 2011 Motown meet champions Kendra Benak, Annie Gerstner, Francie Flores of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA level 7 gymnastics team. |
