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Byron rides senior leaders and seventh graders to reach state gymnastics meet

pat ruff, post-bulletin, rochester, minn.
·7 min read

Feb. 17—ROCHESTER — Byron knew its chances went up substantially when Nevaeh Mitchell was ruled out of the Section 1, Class A gymnastics meet one week ago with an injury.

The sophomore is Winona/Winona Cotter's top performer. A healthy Mitchell certainly would have made her team the favorite to finish first in Saturday's section meet at John Marshall and advance to state.

Without her, the Bears had hope.

After a nerve-wracked Byron start to the meet with one wobbly performance after another on the balance beam, the Bears got their act together. They did even more than that in a handful of events, such as the vault where they claimed the top three spots.

In the end, it was enough. The Bears scored 138.975 points, Winona 138.600 for second in the eight-team meet.

It means Byron is headed to state for the second time in the last three years.

"Coming in, we knew it would come right down to the end," Byron 13th-year coach Charro Coleman said. "Winona is a very talented team. I'm just proud of how our girls responded after that rough start. I could see some nerves in our younger gymnasts."

Byron has three who are equal parts young and talented. They are seventh-graders Sydney Portner, Norah Brown and Olivia O'Brien.

"We've never had three seventh-grade gymnasts at the same time of this caliber," Coleman said. "They enjoy gymnastics, they work hard at it and they always want to try and get to the next big skill. It's just their persistence and wanting to do well that sets them apart."

Byron also has a cast of five seniors who have an ability to lead and settle them. Among that group is fifth-year varsity gymnast Jocie Halfman.

Halfman came to the rescue as much as anyone Saturday.

"I talked to all three of (the seventh-graders) after that tough beam routine," Halfman said. "I told them to shake it off, that there were three other (events) to go."

They obliged — all of them. Portner was the most productive. She won the vault (9.375), was third in floor exercise (9.350) and second behind senior teammate and star Lydia Evans in all-around. Evans scored a 35.450, Portner a 35.275. Brown picked up a third place on vault (9.225).

This was exactly the kind of meet that Portner relishes, thick with drama and competition.

"One-hundred percent," Portner said, "I love winning, especially with my team. Everybody on this team knows how to pick each other up. It's like a lightbulb. Once you see one lightbulb light up, then the rest of us light up."

Once that rugged balance beam performance was out of the way, those light bulbs went on, one at a time and in a hurry.

"I've got a lot of emotions right now," Halfman said. "We've worked really hard for this. We came here to bring it to state. We knew by the end of it, we'd left everything out there."

Team scores

(Winning team advances to state)

Byron 138.975, Winona 138.600, Austin 136.650, Pine Island/Zumbrota-Mazeppa 135.825, Kasson-Mantorville/Triton 133.25, Caledonia 128.975, La Crescent-Hokah 117.075, Stewartville/Chatield 112.00.

Individual scores

(Top 10; top three finishers advance to state)

Floor exercise: 1. Lydia Evans (Byron) 9.300, 2. Reighley Sorum (PIZM) 9.150, 3. Sydney Portner (Byron) 9.125, 4. Alexie Awe (KM) 9.075, 5. (tie) Callie McRae (Austin) 9.050, Ashlie Kronebusch (Winona) 9.050, 7. Ellen Stapleton (PIZM) 9.025, 8. Audrey Peterson (KM) 9.000, 9. (tie) Norah Brown (Byron) 8.950, Hanalei Hocum (Winona) 8.590.

Vault: 1. Sydney Portner (Byron) 9.375, 2. Lydia Evans (Byron) 9.350, 3. Norah Brown (Byron) 9.225, 4. Karissa Merchlewitz (Winona/Cotter) 9.175, 5. Hannah Whitby (PIZM) 9.100, 6. (tie) Reighley Sorum (PIZM) 9.075, Savannah Gabel (Winona/Cotter) 9.075, 8. Kiki Rodriguez (Austin) 9.050, 9. Payton Gilmer (Austin) 9.025, 10. Savanna Gunderson (Stewartville/Chatfield) 8.950.

Uneven parallel bars: 1. Karissa Merchlewitz (Winona) 8.925, 2. Kiki Rodriguez (Austin) 8.725, 3. Jaida Mitchelll (Winona) 8.475, 4. Jill Macon (Winona) 8.325, 5. Olivia O'Brien (Byron) 8.250, 6. Sydney Portner (Byron) 8.250, 7. Reese Norton (Austin) 8.175, 8. Hanalei Hocum (Winona) 8.150, 9. Brailee Peterson (PIZM) 8.100, 10. Alexie Awe (KM) 8.025.

Balance beam: 1. Ava Fogarty (PIZM) 9.075, 2. Emily Klapperich (Austin) 9.025, 3. Jill Macon (Winona) 8.825, 4. Savannah Gabel (Winona) 8.800, 5. Harper Myrah (Caledonia/SG/H) 8.725, 6. Paizley Lange (CSGH) 8.675, 7. Audrey Peterson (KM) 8.650, 8. Lydia Evans (Byron) 8.600, 9. Sydney Portner (Byron) 8.525, 10. Ella Meyers (PIZM) 8.500.

All-around: 1. Lydia Evans (Byron) 35.450, 2. Sydney Portner (Byron) 35.275, 3. Kiki Rodriguez (Austin) 34.925, 4. Reighley Sorum (PIZM) 343.225, 5. Savannah Gabel (Winona) 34.200, 6. Norah Brown (Byron) 33.850, 7. Katelynn Klouse (Austin) 33.800, 8. Audrey Peterson (KM) 33.275, 9. Eleanor Smith (KM) 33.200, 10. Ellen Stapleton (PIZM) 33.200.

Ava Brazell watched her gymnastics career at Mayo come to an end Saturday.

She was excellent again, including landing 10th in all-around.

But for Brazell, the draw to this Mayo gymnastics program has never been just about wanting to peform well, which she's done since she was a freshman.

It's been about being a leader as much as anything. Brazell has captained this team the last two years. She walked away Saturday with a large smile on her face, proud of what the Spartans accomplished in their final meet of the year.

Mayo finished with a 129.50 point total, good for sixth in Section 1-2A. Century was seventh with 125.325.

"I'm just proud of my team," Brazell said. "We had a lot of girls PR today (personal records). Everybody did a really good job."

Brazell has spent the last two years making sure everbody has been at their best.

"I tried hard to be (picked a captain)," Brazell said. "I tried hard to show the coaches that I was capable of it. And then I really enjoyed the job. I like helping put everything together. I like the organization of it for my team and making sure everything is done and ready."

SECTION 1, CLASS 2A

Team scores

(Winning team advances to state)

Lakeville South 147.525, Owatonna 147.050, Farmington 144.750, Lakeville South 136.650, Northfield 132.775, Mayo 129.150, Century 125.325.

Individual results

(Winner, Rochester top 25 finishers; top three advance to state)

All-around: 1. Autumn Schmidt (LS) 37.375, 10. Ava Brazell (Mayo) 33.575, 13. Kendra Horsman (Mayo) 32.275, 15. Taelyn Stuve (Mayo) 31.950, 17. Cecilia Kesselring (Century) 31.650, 19. Ariana Krueger (Century) 31.475, 20. Parker McGuire (Century) 31.225, 21. Nyah Young (Mayo) 30.600.

Vault: 1. Piper Keith (Lakeville South) 9.650, 21. Sarah Rutledge (Century) 8.425, 23. Ava Brazell 8.300, 25. Cecilia Kesselring (Century) 8.275.

Uneven parallel bars: 1. Emma Oden (Farmington) 9.350, 17. Ava Brazell (Mayo) 8.200, 23. 24. Nyah Young (Mayo) 7.775, 25. Taelyn Stuve (Mayo) 7.750.

Balance beam: 1. Piper Keith (Lakeville South) 9.300, 19. Ava Brazell (Mayo) 8.450, 20. Ariana Krueger (Century) 8.250, 23. Parker McGuire (Century) 8.150, 24. Kendra Horsman (Mayo) 8.100, 25. Cecilia Kesselring (Century) 7.700.

Floor exercise: 1. Macyn Hins (Farmington) 9.600, 13. Kendra Horsman (Mayo) 9.050, 19. Ava Brazell (Mayo) 8.625, 20. Parker McGuire (Century) 8.600, 21. Cecilia Kesselring (Century) 8.525, 25. Ariana Krueger (Century) 8.325.