With no seniors on her team, Bainbridge High School gymnastics coach Katie Rochon had to wonder what her squad would be like this season.
After last Friday night’s home 151.9 to 123 victory over Port Angeles, she doesn’t have to worry about it.
Freshman Jade Bereman and junior co-captain Avery Gray placed first and second in the all-around to lead the team to victory.
Bereman won the vault with a score of 8.3, with Gray finishing second with an 8.1. Gray took the uneven parallel bars with an 8.0 score, with Bereman second at 7.9. Bereman won the balance beam by the largest margin of the night, with an 8.6. Gray again was second at 8.3. Gray finished the night with a 9.0 in the floor exercise, with Bereman again second with an 8.9.
Bereman’s overall score was 33.7, with Gray at 33.5.
The other Spartans also performed well, with junior co-captain Elizabeth Olliffe fourth in the all-around at 28.6, Phare Deitrich fifth at 28.2 and Sofia Fleischmann sixth at 26.9.
In the floor, Deitrich was fourth with a 7.8, Olliffe fifth at 7.5, and Fleischmann tied for sixth with teammate Shawna Smith at 7.2
Jessamyn Schindler was third in the bars at 6.3, Olliffe fourth at 6.1, Deitrich fifth at 5.1 and Fleischmann sixth at 5.0.
On the balance beam, Elizabeth Pickle was third with a 7.9, Schindler fourth at 7.5, Olliffe fifth at 7.3 and Deitrich sixth at 7.1.
And finishing with the floor, Deitrich tied for third with an 8.2, Fleischmann was fifth at 7.8 and Olliffe sixth at 7.7.
After the meet, Gray said there is a reason she finished with such high marks in all four events. “This is pretty much my life,” she said, adding she took up gymnastics at about age 5, and she’s been on the city’s club team for about nine years. She said she practices many hours a week as along with the school team she’s still with the club, too.
Gray said she got started so young, “because I liked to climb on a lot of things, and this was a way my parents thought I could do it safely. I was hooked.”
She said her goal this year is to make state, and maybe regionals, especially in the vault and floor exercise.
The Bainbridge High School gymnastics team lines up in the ceremony to start the meet.
Avery Gray of BHS performs her winning floor exercise routine.
Jade Bereman finished second to her teammate Avery Gray in the floor exercise.
Bainbridge coach Katie Rochon watches as Avery Gray does her routine on the uneven parallel bars, which she won.
Bainbridge coach Katie Rochon watches as Avery Gray does her routine on the uneven parallel bars, which she won.
