Gymnastics: Strong start to season for gymnasts

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After recent seasons of scoring records falling week-in and week-out, scoring changes were made before this season.

How those changes would affect teams wasn’t really known until meets started last week.

As Rosemount coach Jason Passeri scanned the recent scores from meets, star-filled teams were lower than they have been in recent seasons.

The first time out for the Irish ended in a familiar spot. Not necessarily score-wise, but Rosemount won the Simley invitational for the fifth straight time.

“Scoring was really tough,” Passeri said. “There were a lot lower scores this year.”

There will be an adjustment for all teams, but Passeri and the Irish are still up among the higher-scoring teams.

Rosemount won the Simley invitational with a 138.65 team score, beating second-place Bloomington Jefferson’s 128.75. The Irish placed first as a team in each event.

“We had some of our lowest scores in two or three years,” Passeri said. “But, it’s nice to start with an invite win against seven teams.”

The Irish then split a Lake Conference meet against Bloomington Kennedy and Jefferson.

Rosemount beat Kennedy, 138.825-119.325 and lost 140.35-138.825 to Jefferson.

A talented team like the Irish might be affected more than some other teams in the area.

“There are more places to take deductions,” Passeri said. “Some of the skills for bonus points were devalued. It’s a different scoring system. It almost made it harder for the better kids. It rewards the kids who are not as good.

“Kids are doing easier vaults now and scoring higher than kids doing harder vaults. You’re almost penalized if you throw big skills. It’s hard for a team like ours who have big skills.”

In the Simley victory, Katie Murgic was second in the all-around with a total of 36.4. Katrina Clayton was third with a 35.25.

Murgic was first on the balance beam with an 8.9. Macy Stearns was second with an 8.85 and Paige Henke was eighth as the top-10 finishers place in individual events.

Murgic won the uneven bars with a 9.35. Clayton was third with a 9.3. Tara Gottschling was sixth and Kathy Aune was 10th.

On the vault, Murgic placed second and Clayton took third place, followed by Lindsey Weisensel (seventh place) and Stearns (ninth).

In the floor exercise, Gottschling was second with a 9.0. Clayton scored an 8.8 to place third and Murgic was fourth (8.75) giving Rosemount three of the top four scores. Aune was seventh.

In a double-dual meet against the Bloomington schools, the Irish would compete once, but the performances counted towards two separate dual-meet team scores.

“Bars cost us the meet,” Passeri said. “We had two falls on the bars, and one of the top girls only did seven skills when you have to have eight. All the other events were close.

Against Kennedy, Clayton won the all-around with a 36.575 and Murgic was second with a 35.85.

The two tied for the vault lead with a 9.3 and Claire Judeh placed third.

Murgic won the bars with a 9.05 with Clayton in second.

Clayton then won the beam competition with Stearns in second. Clayton also won the floor exercise with Murgic placing second, Gottschling taking third and Stearns finishing fourth.

Against Jefferson, Clayton took second and Murgic third in the all-around. Clayton won the floor exercise with her score.

The JV team also won as Henke won JV bars and Weisensel won beam with scores that would have counted in the varsity competition.

Aune and Dani Walsh tied for first in the JV floor competition.

Tags: sports, gymnastics, rosemount