Porter, Tate shine with titles | State gymnastics

Auburn Mountainview junior Kayla Porter captured 3A state titles on the balance beam and uneven bars Saturday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.

By Dennis Box • February 21, 2016 11:32 pm

Kayla Porter won the individual state 3A gymnastic championship on the uneven bar and balance beam Saturday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.

The Auburn Mountainview junior seriously injured her right foot two day prior to the state meet.

It happened at a recent basketball game.

“I am a cheerleader and I was tumbling on a basketball court,” Porter said.

Despite her injury she took two state championships and finished in a fourth-place tie for the all-around scoring 3.65.

Porter said her only disappointment was if not for the injury she would have won the all-around title.

Porter said the worst pain was during the Friday rotations, but there was no question in her mind. She would compete Saturday for the state individual title.

“I’m glad I went through it, but it was stressful and painful,” she said.

Porter injury involved a sprain, possible bone fracture and considerable pain.

“I don’t know all of it because there is so much wrong with it,” Porter said Saturday following the meet. “He (the doctor) told me you pulled the muscle in the inside of your foot and that is the least of you worries…. Really bad bone bruise, possibly worse than that but they can’t really see. Really bad ankle sprain and some other things I can’t remember what he said.”

The gymnast said when she was performing, pain was not on her mind.

“When I was out there, I could feel it, but that is not what I was thinking about,” she said. “I thinking about doing the best I could. It worked out for me so it’s the best I can ask for…. The vault was most painful, floor (most difficult because it) was the longest set of pain.”

Following her two-state-title performance, Porter said, it was stressful and painful but, “I’m glad I went through it.”

Auburn sophomore Ali Tate took the all-around state title, with a score of 37.225. Porter, last year’s state runner-up, finished with a score of 36.500.

Last Friday, Tate was second on the bars (9.3), tied Porter for third on the beam (9.525) and was second in the vault (9.1).