Pierre girls place 3rd at ESD meet in Yankton

By Mike Smith
For The Capital Journal
Published/Last Modified on Monday, Feb 08, 2010 - 12:21:36 am CST

YANKTON — The drive home from Yankton took six hours but to the Pierre gymnastics team it was as if they were flying.

.Led by beam medalist Cheyna Lodge, the Lady Govs scored a 134.55 to place third. The finish matched the team’s best conference showing since their runner-up showing in 1992. They were also third in 2008 and 1993. It was a much more satisfying day than last year, where an injury-riddled team finished sixth.

Lodge, who has been battling knee injuries all year, had a career day on the beam, scoring a 9.325. That was the sixth best score in team history. She also earned a sixth-place medal in the all-around with a 35.275 score.

“On the way to Yankton, she told me she really wanted to do all-around,’ said Pierre coach Nicki Abels. “I told she could throw a vault, but only without a warm-up. She hadn’t practiced in a week and got a 9.0 and 9.05. The other girls were just amazed.”

Lodge is still dealing with the pain of chronic knees but is an inspiration.

‘She is definitely in pain but you can’t hold down a champion,” said Abels. “I look at our young gymnasts and see they are at the same point Cheyna was at.”

Watertown repeated as conference champion with a score of 148.0, well ahead of second place Brookings. Lynn Hanten of the Arrows won the all-around taking first on the bars and tying with teammate Caitlin Mack on the floor. Mack was the vault champion.

Pierre started out shaky on both the vault and bars so it was time to dig deep.

“They knew they haven’t had their best performance and it was time to either shine or choke,” said Abels. “It was still up in the air but I told them I believed in them and they had to believe in themselves.”

Along with Lodge, Shelby Gerber, Shelby Spelbring and Sara Polak all stuck their routines. Lodge’s ESD championship was the first for Pierre since Abels became coach in 2005.

The Lady Govs can only hope the ESD showing can help vault them to a state tournament. Concern three weeks ago was whether the team could pull it together in time to even qualify for state by region time. The 134.55 score at ESD, along with a 134.75 the previous week, helps to ease those worries.

Pierre will perform with Rapid City Central and Rapid City Stevens at the Region 3AA meet in Rapid City on Friday starting at 5:30 p.m. The Cobblers won the Greater Dakota Conference meet with a 142.55 score on Saturday. Rapid City Stevens was 130.475. Top two teams automatically advance to state.

“I’m looking for another ESD-type performance,’ said Abels. “I know we can do even better on the bars and vault. We only need to perform as well as we are capable of.”

Team Points: Watertown 148.000, Brookings 139.650, Pierre 134.550, Mitchell 133.375, Huron 133.125, Aberdeen 129.250, Yankton-Bon Homme 127.075.

Individual results

Bars: 1. Lynne Hanten, Watertown, 9.55; 2. Caitlin Mack, Watertown, 9.475; 3. Courtney Krishnan, Brookings, 9.0; 4. Anne Peterson, Watertown, 8.875; 5. Jalyn Carrico, Watertown, 8.625; 6. Amy Leiferman, Brookings, 8.575; 7. Brittni Gustafson, Brookings, 8.55; 8. Coty Zell, Huron, 8.525.

Vault: 1. Caitlin Mack, Watertown, 9.425; 2. Jalyn Carrico, Watertown, 9.375; 3. (tie) Lynne Hanten, Watertown and Alexa Morris, Watertown, 9.3; 5. Alexis Gannon, Brookings, 9.2; 6. Courtney Krishnan, Brookings, 9.175; 7. Jordan Fox, Watertown, 9.15; 8. Tricia Watson, Watertown, 9.1.

Floor: 1. (tie) Lynne Hanten, Watertown and Caitlin Mack, Watertown, 9.575; 3. (tie) Jalyn Carrico, Watertown, and Krisia Bramer, Watertown, 9.225; 5. Anne Peterson, Watertown, 9.175; 6. Alexa Morris, Watertown, 9.1; 7. Jasmine Jackan, Watertown, 9.0; 8. Alexis Gannon, Brookings, 8.9.

Beam: 1. Cheyna Lodge, Pierre, 9.325; 2. Jalyn Carrico, Watertown, 9.300; 3. Courtney Krishnan, Brookings, 9.175; 4. (tie) Anne Peterson, Watertown, and Jasmine Jackan, Watertown, 9.125; 6. Lynne Hanten, Watertown, 8.925; 7. Krishna Hill, Brookings, 8.825; 8. (tie) Mercedes Geraets, Mitchell and Elysa Binger, Huron, 8.775.

All Around: 1. Lynne Hanten, Watertown, 37.350; 2. Caitlin Mack, Watertown, 37.075; 3. Jalyn Carrico, Watertown, 36.525; 4. Courtney Krishnan, Brookings, 35.950; 5. Anne Peterson, Brookings,35.450; 6. Cheyna Lodge, Pierre, 35.275; 7. Krishna Hill, Brookings, 34.925; 8. Amy Leiferman, Brookings, 33.875.

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