The Bainbridge Spartans made their mark at state by taking sixth place as a team in the Washington 2A/3A Gymnastics Championships in the 2016 competition at the Tacoma Dome’s Exhibition Hall.
Remi Rosencrans, a freshman for BHS, medaled in the uneven bars and finished in eighth place.
Spartan Coach Cindy Guy said the team performed well, and almost topped rival Ballard in the highly competitive contest.
“We went in there and represented Bainbridge High School with dignity and class and we were competitive — and that’s what the state competition is all about.”
Bainbridge finished the championships, held Feb. 19-20, with a team score of 158.55.
Kamiakin placed first (180.475), followed by Holy Names (174.225) and Columbia River (164.15).
Just in front of Bainbridge was Enumclaw in fourth (160.475) and Ballard in fifth (159.25).
Though the Spartans’ trip to state was a bit of a surprise — the team found out it had landed a team slot at the championship meet during the warm ups at the district meet — Bainbridge’s young squad responded well to the pressure of high school gymnastic’s biggest stage, Guy said.
Most of the girls going to state, she added, were ninth-graders.
“We were a really young team but we competed really well,” Guy said.
“They all did their best and scored well. I was really proud of how each gymnast went up and performed their routines and didn’t shake under the pressure of state,” she added.
The Spartans brought nine gymnasts to state: Briana Bruyere, Ashleigh Cate, Emma Chee, Kylie Daniel, Willa Jones Irwin, Karena Klinkenberg, Alathea Pippinger, Remi Rosencrans and Siqi Talley.
The Spartans began on beam in the afternoon flight of the first day of competition.
Next came the floor exercise, followed by vault, then uneven bars.
On beam, Alathea Pippinger landed in a tie for 30th with Madi George of Bellevue, with a score of 8.65.
Other Spartan scores were:
Emma Chee, 39th (tie with Hannah Hudson, Ballard), 8.45; Remi Rosencrans, 46th (tie with Jade Anderson, Mount Spokane), 8.3; Ashleigh Cate, 53rd (tie with Claire Schwartz, Bellevue, and Lizzy Platin, Hazen), 8.15; Briana Brayere, 84th, 7.4; Siqi Talley, 85th, 7.15.
In the floor exercise event, Remi Rosencrans placed fourth with 9.125 in a three-way tie with Nadia Popovici of Lake Washington and Ryanne Rogers of Kamiakin.
Fellow Spartan Ashleigh Cate also ended in a three-way knot for 31st place with a score of 8.975 along with Mount Spokane’s Brooke Fraser and Sammamish’s Abby Hu.
And just behind, Siqi Talley claimed a share of 34th place with Luba Migdal of Auburn Riverside, with both scoring 8.95.
Also on floor, Emma Chee tied for 52nd with Brooklyn Popp of Holy Names, at 8.675.
Alathea Pippinger claimed 61st (8.425).
Karena Klinkenberg was 80th for Bainbridge High, with a score of 8.075.
On vault, Ashleigh Cate tied for 24th place (7.95) with Sophia Maninelli of Kamiakin.
Other finishers for BHS included Siqi Talley, 36th (tie with Ginger Mullins of Bellingham and Mari Huff of Ballard, 7.6); Remi Rosencrans and Willa Jones-Irwin, 59th (tie with Kylin Lilly, Capital); Emma Chee, 83rd (6.85); and Althea Pippinger (three-way tie with Grace DeMeurisse and Lily Hatzenbeler of Nathan Hale, 6.65).
Remi Rosencrans tied for fifth place in the uneven bars with a score of 9.2 with Sophia Mancinelli of Kamiakin.
Siqi Talley placed 19th for the Spartans with 8.35.
Teammate Emma Chee was 46th with 7.175.
Other Bainbridge scores in the event included: Briana Brayere, 83rd place (tie with Amy Wedvik, Sumner), 5.925; Ashleigh Cate, 90th, 5.35.
All around scores (for gymnasts competing in all four events) found Remi Rosencars in 18th place at 33.925 and Siqi Talley at 27th (32.05).
Emma Chee was 40th (31.15) followed by Ashleigh Cate in 46th (30.425).
In the finals on bars on Saturday, Remi Rosencrans won eighth place with a score of 9.1
Kayla Porter of Auburn Mountainview won the event (9.375).
Other all-around scores: Althea Pippinger, 51st (tie with Julie Fergus, Columbia River), 29.525.
The Spartans finished in sixth place in team scores at the close of the first day of competition, with a score of 158.55.
Kamiak led with 180.475, followed by Holy Names in second, 175.225.
Columbia River was third, (164.15); Enumclaw, fourth (160.475); and Ballard, fifth (159.25).
Considering the youth of this year’s squad, the Spartans’ trip to the state championships was most impressive.
“It was a lot to get from Metro — with Holy Names and Ballard in our league — and be able to compete at district and beat out all the KingCo teams,” Guy said.
“I told the girls it was like icing on top of the cake,” she said.
Guy and Assistant Coach Bryan Garoutte have plenty of reasons for a positive outlook going into the next season, with so many gymnasts now having the experience of state to build on, and more talented newcomers expected to join the team as freshmen.
“We’re looking forward to another year of improvement,” Guy said.
“And the freshmen will know what the expectations are and how hard it is to get to state,” she added.
