Litchfield wrapped up its season with a fifth-place finish at the Section 6A gymnastics meet Saturday, posting a score of 134.125, the Dragons' third-best total of the year.
“We knew starting off on beam would be tough,” head coach Sara Holmgren said. “Usually at sections, they don't give out the big scores right away. Beam is an event where we've been able to score a little bit higher this year. So we actually started out with a really solid beam, we just didn't get the scores we were hoping for.”
Willmar blew away the competition, winning the section by 3.5 points. Benson and Annandale fought hard for second place, but Benson prevailed by .175 points. New London-Spicer was the fourth-place team with a score of 136.350.
Holmgren felt that the score match the Dragons' performed. There were some points left out on the floor in the bar and floor, Holmgren said, but in the end, she was proud of how the girls competed.
“It just wasn't in the cards for us on Saturday,” Holmgren said. “But I still think overall, I was pleased with their performances. We had more top-10 finishes than I can remember in my coaching career.”
The season went through its highs and lows, but the team never wavered. It may not have ended as they would have liked — the Dragons wanted to improve on the fourth-place finish at last year's sections — but there were more teams this year.
There were also some milestones made along the way. Litchfield scored a season best 135 points twice this year after never reaching that last year. The team accomplished plenty this year with a lot to be proud of.
“That's what they were definitely trying to do was raise team scores,” Holmgren said. “One of the highlights of the season was how well we were on beam. Throughout we saw different girls get high 8s, and we haven't had that in the past. So that was nice to see different girls step up and being able to score some of those bigger scores to help the team score a little bit higher.”
Heading into next season, there is a lot to build on. The Dragons will lose senior captains Cecelia Toenjes and Megan Nelson, but a good core of the group will return. Holmgren doesn't know who captains will be next year, as she will be stepping down.
But with the core group returning, and the JV team scoring similarly to the varsity this season, there will be a smooth transition. For some girls on the team, gymnastics is their only sport; it's what they spend the offseason working on.
The chemistry is also there with the team, and that is one of the major reasons Holmgren believes the Dragons could challenge the school record of 137 points next year.
“They're a strong team, they get along,” Holmgren said. “They work hard and they showed that focus and they wanted to improve themselves for the betterment of the team. I think that's fun to see and that doesn't always happen in gymnastics.”
Section 6A Gymnastics Championship (Feb. 15)
1. Willmar 142.450, 2. Benson-KMS 138.900, 3. Annandale 138.825, 4. New London-Spicer 136.350, 5. Litchfield 134.125, 6. Dassel-Coakto 129.925, 7. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead 128.450, 8. Paynesville/Eden Valley-Watkins 119.525
Individual Results:
Vault: 1. Becca Green (A) 9.675, t8. Grace Borowicz 9.100, 9. Olivia Holmgren 9.075, 10. Megan Nelson 9.050, t15. Raina Kaping 8.900, t19. Vail Kaping 8.750
Bars: 1. Green (A) 9.325, 9. Borowicz 8.150, 13. Emma Brown 7.950, 21. Holmgren 7.600, 23. Lilli Chvatal 7.550, 25. Nelson 7.500
Beam: 1. Kirah Kessler-Gross (W) 9.500, 7. Vail Kaping 8.700, 14. Borowicz 8.325, t19. Brown 8.050, 32. Raina Kaping 7.325
Floor: 1. Green (A) 9.475, 9. Borowicz 8.900, 13. Raina Kaping 8.675, 24. Nelson 8.200, t27. Vail Kaping 8.075, t27. Abby Barus 8.075
All-around: 1. Green (A) 37.950, 7. Borowicz 34.475, 17. Nelson 32.575
