Gymnastics: Battling through falls and illness

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Due to the lengthy nature of the winter sports season, many teams hope to just get through the mental and physical grind of January.

While the Rosemount gymnastics team remains one of the top teams in the state, even the Irish have shown they aren’t immune to a bit of midseason issues.

For Rosemount this season, its a lingering illness that has run through the team.

“We’ve had to give them a day off practice,” Irish coach Jason Passeri said. “We’ve had some flu-like symptoms going around, the coaches have been dealing with it, a couple of kids have had to miss practice.”

There is little time left to relax now.

Rosemount had a strong showing to win the Buffalo tournament last week before losing a Lake Conference dual at Eagan on Tuesday.

The Irish lost 145.5-142.95 at Eagan.

And now there only two dual meets remain before the section tournament.

“We were just a little off on balance beam and a little off on vault and floor,” Passeri said. “Eagan is in our section. The two teams are comparable. They might be a little bit better on bars right now, but the other three events could go either way. It’s good to go against these other teams to know how they are doing. Eagan has basically a whole new team this year.”

And while Eagan is streaking with a top-5 team, the Irish are left to battle through while not being at top strength.

Katrina Clayton — one of the gymnasts that has been dealing with illness — had one of the toughest meets of her career.

Meanwhile, Rosemount’s Katie Murgic might have had her best.

Murgic won the all-around competition against Eagan with a 37.6, while placing first on vault (9.3), balance beam (9.425), and floor exercise (9.55). She was third on the uneven bars with a 9.325.

Clayton was second on the bars with a 9.4

Tara Gottschling was third on the floor with a personal best 9.525, and Macy Stearns was fourth with a 9.35.

At Buffalo, Rosemount’s 142.45 bested Willmar’s 135.325 to win the competition.

“I think I might have jinxed us at Buffalo,” Passeri said. “I said we might have been the best floor team in the state and we scored higher on beam than on floor. We had people fall on floor.”

The Irish finished with a combined 35.825, their season low on floor.

However, the did put together a 36.15 on the beam.

“That’s huge, that’s two good meets in a row,” Passeri said. “Beam is the event you’re most likely to have falls on. They are tumbling on a four-inch beam. That’s where you win or lose meets.”

Stearns placed second on the beam among 40 competitors in each event. Murgic was third and Claire Judeh was sixth.

Murgic won the floor competition, and placed second on the vault and bars.

On the bars, Clayton was first and Kathy Aune finished in seventh.

Tags: kathy aune, sports, gymnastics