The Kentlake gymnastics squad served notice that it will be a force to reckon with this season by delivering a 170.9 point team victory in a cross-classification meet against 4A rivals Auburn Riverside and Olympia and 3A opponent Auburn Mountainview this past Wednesday.
The Falcons soared past the second-place Ravens, who finished with 166.4 team points. The Lions took third with 160.35 points and the Bears posted a 149.35 team finish.
“Not a bad meet,” said Auburn Mountainview head coach Jayme Hostetter. “I’m impressed by both Riverside and Kentlake. I think Kentlake will be a 4A contender. It was a really good competitive meet for this early in the season.”
Senior Kayla Shira’s 37.0 point all-around win fueled Kentlake’s victory. Shira, a club gymnast with Auburn Gymnastics who is competing for her school for the first time, finished first on the beam with a 9.45 score and the vault with a 9.0. She also finished second on the bars with a 9.4 score.
“She wasn’t even at her top form,” Hostetter said. “She’s got way more to put out there than she had (Wednesday). I expect her to do even better.”
Falcon teammate Lynnsey Thielman pitched in with a third place finish on the bars with a 9.0 and was second on the beam with a 9.3 score.
Kentlake will travel to Kent-Meridian for a tri-meet with Emerald Ridge and the Royals, at 7 p.m. today, Wednesday.
ALSO: Auburn Riverside junior Rebecca Turnbow appears to be fully recovered from a pair of ankle injuries suffered in the district and state finals last season. Turnbow captured second place all-around at the meet with a 36.7 score. Turnbow – who was 80th in the all-around at the state 3A meet last season despite her injuries – finished first on the bars with a 9.45 and was second in the floor exercise with a 9.3 score. She was also second in the vault with a 8.75 and third on the beam with a 9.2. … Raven freshman Ali Rodseth took third in the floor exercise with a 9.25 point finish. … With a season-ending ACL injury forcing junior Alexi Morton – who was second all-around at the state 3A meet last season – to sit out the year, the Auburn Mountainview squad will look to senior Ashley Perkovich, who was 14th all-around at the state 3A meet last season, to drive their team. Perkovich finished third in the all-around this past Wednesday with 35.4 points. She won the floor exercise with a 9.35 score. Perkovich was also third in the vault with a 8.7 point finish.