It was a wildly successful Class A State True Team Gymnastics Championship meet last Saturday for the Becker Bulldogs, as the team came away with a third place finish.
Only the top 10 state-ranked teams are invited to the meet, and Becker did not disappoint with a stellar all around performance.
The Bulldogs’ 175.575 team points came in just behind Melrose (2nd at 177.725) and Monticello (Champs with 177.975).
The True Team format relies heavily on team depth, as each squad counts the scores from five participants on each of the four events, whereas in a regular event, just the top four scores count and the lowest of the five marks is dropped.
“The pressure is really on at True Team Championships because you don’t get the luxury of dropping out the lowest score,” Becker Coach Jen Harmoning said.
In the latest rankings, Becker registered in fifth place, meaning that their third place finish was all the more impressive.
Harmoning said that the Bulldogs were just tenths of a single point behind the two leaders if the top four scores were counted, with Becker capturing a season high total of 143.325
“We were really anxious to see how our athletes would respond to this pressure situation, especially since lately they have been a bit inconsistent on some of their events,” Harmoning said. “They could not have made us any more proud with how well they handled it.”
The Bulldogs weren’t perfect, but they were very good, hitting 18-for-20 on their routines.
“As coaches, we are very happy with where we are at in this journey right now,” harmoning said.
While individual awards are not levied at the meet, Harmoning noted some very fine performances from her team.
Karli Kirk tied for third on the vault with a 9.4, while Lauren Woelfel and Maggie Graning tied for 10th with 9.275’s - a career high for Woelfel. Chloe Spear was close behind, eclipsing the 9.0 mark with a 9.025.
On bars, Becker was led by Kirk (fifth - 8.9), Graning (seventh - 8.775 a personal best), and Woelfel ninth.
On the beam, Emma Hennessey paced the Bulldogs with a seventh place finish score of 8.975, followed by Kirk (eighth) and Graning (ninth).
On the floor, Graning was again in her element, taking sixth place with a personal best of 9.475. She was also the top Bulldog in the All-Around, with a personal best 36.4, good enough for fourth overall. Kirk was not far behind in eighth place, scoring 35.875.
“Maggie is only an eighth grader and is showing that she’s made of something special,” Harmoning said. “It will surely be fun to watch her along with sophomore Kirk in the coming years. They both have bright futures ahead of them.”
Becker finished up the regular season Thursday night in St. Francis.
