With some of her varsity squad battling injuries and illnesses, head coach Rebecca Penning was hoping the Park Rapids-Nevis gymnastics team could score a 115 in the home finale Friday night.
Not only did the Panthers reach that mark, they exceeded expectations with their highest team score of the season.
Led by season highs in floor exercise and balance beam, the Panthers surpassed their previous season high of 117.95 in a 126.575 to 120.20 loss to Long Prairie-Grey Eagle. The 120.20 was the Panthers' highest team score since receiving a 122.85 against Frazee in 2010.
Park Rapids opened with a 31.80 in floor exercise behind Katie Eischens' runner-up 8.45, Erin Tooker's 8.30, Olivia Fischer's 8.10 and Olivia Ulvin's 6.95. LPGE's Reanne Warwick took first with a 9.00.
On balance beam, Fischer led the way with an 8.40 and Tooker was second with a 7.95 as the Panthers received a 30.85 in that event. Eischens' 7.70 and Randi Nielsen's 6.80 rounded out Park Rapids' team score.
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Fischer's 7.10, Tooker's 7.05, Eischens' 6.95 and Jasmine Cease's 4.10 led to a 25.20 on uneven parallel bars. Warwick took first with an 8.30.
LPGE claimed the top-four spots in vault, but Fischer's 8.60, Nielsen's 8.40, Tooker's 7.90 and Cease's 7.45 gave the Panthers a 32.35 team score in the final event. Tristen Marcyes was first with a 9.025.
Marcyes won the all-around title with a 32.375 while Warwick was second with a 32.25. Fischer followed in third place with a 32.20 while Tooker tied for fourth with a 31.20 as both posted their season high all-around scores. The Panthers, who have improved their team score in every meet this season, fell to 1-5 in dual meets.
LPGE received marks of 35.575 in vault, 32.35 in floor, 30.30 on beam and 28.35 on beam.
"With a few injuries and a couple recovering from illness, it's always hard to gauge how the group will do, but I think it's more than fair to say they came, they fought and they conquered," said Park Rapids head coach Rebecca Penning. "Last week we spent a lot of time building mental toughness and self confidence both before and during a meet. I was certainly proud of how they approached the meet and supported each other. Our team reached a big goal (of scoring 120 points). That goal has been at the top of their list all five years I've coached. There's nothing to compare that feeling of continued success to and we're not planning on stopping."
LPGE 126.575, Park Rapids 120.20
Floor exercise: 1, Warwick, LPGE, 9.00. 2, Eischens, PR, 8.45. 3, Marcyes, LPGE, 8.35. 4, E. Tooker, PR, 8.30. 5, Fischer, PR, 8.10. 6, Olson, LPGE, 7.60. 7, Leroux, LPGE, 7.40. 8, Langner, LPGE, 7.20. 9, Ulvin, PR, 6.95. 10, Nielsen, PR, 6.90. JV: Litzau, PR, 5.60; Cease, PR, 5.40; Al. Kirlin, PR, 5.30; Dennis, PR, 4.80; V. Tooker, PR, 4.20.
Balance beam: 1, Fischer, PR, 8.40. 2, E. Tooker, PR, 7.95. 3, Marcyes, LPGE, 7.90. 4, Eischens, PR, 7.70. 5, Leroux, LPGE, 7.20. 6, Langner, LPGE, 7.00. 7, Nielsen, PR, 6.80. 8, Warwick, LPGE, 6.25. 9, Iverson, LPGE, 6.10. 10, Cease, PR, 5.10. JV: Al. Kirlin, PR, 4.50; Ulvin, PR, 4.20; Litzau, PR, 4.00; White, PR, 2.50; Dennis, PR, 2.00.
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Uneven parallel bars: 1, Warwick, LPGE, 8.30. 2, Langner, LPGE, 8.05. 3 (tie), Fischer, PR, and Marcyes, LPGE, 7.10. 5, E. Tooker, PR, 7.05. 6, Eischens, PR, 6.95. 7, Leroux, LPGE, 6.85. 8, Young, LPGE, 6.50. 9, Cease, PR, 4.10. 10, Litzau, PR, 3.80. JV: Ulvin, PR, 2.50.
Vault: 1, Marcyes, LPGE, 9.025. 2, Langner, LPGE, 8.95. 3, Leroux, LPGE, 8.90. 4, Warwick, LPGE, 8.70. 5, Fischer, PR, 8.60. 6, Nielsen, PR, 8.40. 7, Olson, LPGE, 8.10. 8, E. Tooker, PR, 7.90. 9, Cease, PR, 7.45.
All-around: 1, Marcyes, LPGE, 32.375. 2, Warwick, LPGE, 32.25. 3, Fischer, PR, 32.20. 4 (tie), E. Tooker, PR, and Langner, LPGE, 31.20. 6, Leroux, LPGE, 30.35.
