Warriors send three gymnasts to state
Two mainstays and a surprise are headed to compete in the Class 2A state gymnastics meet for the Brainerd Warriors.
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Samantha Smith and Maggie Freiday, two of the Warriors top performers all season long, will join surprise gymnast Becky Walker at state. Those three teamed up to help the Warriors take second place at the Section 8-2A meet Saturday in Buffalo.
Smith scored a 37.125 for third place in the all-around, placed third in the balance beam with a score of 9.45, and finished fourth on the uneven parallel bars with a score of 9.175.
"Sam's a gamer," Warriors coach Dave Maras said. "When the pressure is on it brings out the best in her. She struggled on beam as of late but was rock solid Saturday. She put it all together.
Maggie Freiday (left) and Becky Walker tied for fourth in vault
"Her all-around score places her fifth all-time in Brainerd behind (Crystal) Savage, (Julie) Beasley, (Katie) Perpich and (Kathleen) Lorenz. That's some pretty elite company."
Freiday scored 36.125 in the all-around to place fourth and was tied for fourth with teammate Becky Walker as
each posted a 9.425 to qualify for state.
"Maggie went out in style," Maras said. "She had a fall on beam but picked it up and got stronger throughout day. Nothing phased her. She threw one of better vaults and did probably her best bar routine of the year.
"Becky was a surprise. We kept her in hiding all year. This was the first time she had done that vault in a meet and she did really well. Becky had been mostly an alternate up to that point but she went out and nailed it."
Team score: 1-St. Cloud Tech 149.875, 2-Brainerd 143.4, 3-Buffalo 137.75, 4-Bemidji 134.15, 5-Willmar 132.25, 6-Sauk Rapids 131.8, 7-Alexandria 130.65, 8-Moorhead 129.975, 9-St. Cloud Apollo 124.4, 10-Elk River 98.1
Uneven parallel bars: 1-Jillie Donabauer (Tech) 9.8, 4-Samantha Smith (Brd) 9.175, 7-Maggie Freiday (Brd) 8.975
Balance beam: 1-Katrina Thompson (Moor) 9.55, 3-Smith (Brd) 9.45, 10-Arianna Lofrano (Brd) 8.925, 12-Missy Brown (Brd) 8.8, 16-Freiday (Brd) 8.7, 23-Carlie Kramer (Brd) 8.27
Floor exercise: 1-Amber Christianson (Tech) 9.675, 5-Smith (Brd) 9.175, 7-Freiday (Brd) 9.025, 9-Kramer (Brd) 8.9, 15-Lofrano (Brd) 8.6, 18-Shana Lingwall (Brd) 8.5
Vault: 1-Post (Tech) 4t-Freiday (Brd) 9.425, 4t-Becky Walker (Brd) 9.425, 6-Smith (Brd) 9.325, 7-Kelsi Ring (Brd) 9.25, 10-LIngwall (Brd) 9.225
All-around: 1-Alise Post (Tech) 37.9 3-Smith (Brd) 37.125, 4-Freiday (Brd) 36.125
Next: Class 2A state individual meet 6 p.m. Saturday.