Columbia River gymnasts place third at state (video)

TACOMA — The Columbia River Chieftains felt like champions Friday.

No, they did not win the state title at the Class 3A/2A gymnastics championships. Instead, they peaked at the perfect time.

The best routines of the season turned into the best team score of the season which led to a third-place finish for the Chieftains.

“To pull it all together in this one meet has been great,” said co-captain Nicole Gorretta. “I love this season. I love being with these girls. Best way to top it off.”

Or, as head coach Alicia Green said: “Best. Feeling. Ever.”

Sarah Ellis, a sophomore, led the team with a seventh-place finish in the all-around competition — the top finisher among Southwest Washington gymnasts in the 3A event. She scored a 36.150 in the four events, including the best score of the day on the uneven bars.

In all, the Chieftains totalled 164.150 points. Kamiakin won the team title with 180.475. Holy Names was second. The Chieftains edged out Enumclaw, at 160.475, for third.

“The girls worked through so many injuries, so many trials, this season,” Green said. “We knew the best we could get was third. We were hoping. We knew if they had the meet of their life, we could earn third place. And we earned it today.”

Four gymnasts from Southwest Washington qualified for Saturday’s finals in individual events. Ellis made it in bars and the balance beam. Teammate Kenzie Moxley made in on the floor exercise.

Kylee Tjensvold of Ridgefield, who finished 13th in the all-around, is a finalist on the bars and floor.

Megan Beatty of Hudson’s Bay, 15th in the all-around, reached finals on the beam and floor.

Gorretta earned a medal for her 16th-place finish in all-around.

Friday at the state meet is about team and all-around. Ellis, though, had only one priority.

“I just focused on the team. I didn’t even know about the all-around,” Ellis said.

In fact, she only realized the all-around was a part of the program when it was being announced at the awards ceremony.

“I had only got one other 36 (this season). To get another 36 was really, really cool,” she said of her 36.150. “I peaked at this meet and so did our team.”

“It means a lot we’re ending on a good note,” said Moxley, along with Gorretta, a senior co-captain.

The Chieftains had a rough start to the day on the floor exercise. Gorretta said she and Moxley got the team back on the correct path.

“We had to cheer for each other, support each other,” Gorretta said. “We had to get everyone fired up and everyone with a positive attitude again.”

The Chieftains came back on the vault, then finished the competition with their best routines of the season on the bars and beam. All six Chieftains hit their bar performances.

Tjensvold, who finished 21st in the all-around last year, moved up eight spots this year.

“I just wanted to make it to final in a couple events,” she said.

Accomplished that.

Beatty said she just wanted to have fun and make finals on her best events — the beam and floor.

Accomplished that.

Then she got 15th in all-around.

“That was something extra,” Beatty said. “I did not see that coming.”

Two locals qualify for 4A finals — Kylie Weaver, a senior from Union, and Alara Jones, a junior from Mountain View, will represent the Class 4A Greater St. Helens League in the 4A state gymnastics finals Saturday.

Weaver qualified for the final eight on the balance beam, recording a 9.275 in Friday’s competition. It was the third-best score of the day in the 4A meet.

Jones tied for the third-best score of the day on the floor exercise, with the judges giving her a 9.550.

Woodinville won the Class 4A team title Friday with a meet-record score of 187.375. Marisa Savage of Woodinville won the all-around title.

Individual event finals for the 4A and 3A/2A meets are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday.