Jay Co. posts best score

In their final meet of the regular season, the Patriots turned in their best score of the year. They hope it is just a glimpse of what they can accomplish in the tournament.

With a score of 102.675, the Jay County High School gymnastics team took a split Monday as host of a double dual. It defeated the sectional rival Muncie Central Bearcats (83.55) while falling to the 12th-ranked Hagerstown Tigers (104.775).

Senior Nadlie Runyon led the Patriots' effort - it was the seventh-best team score in school history, and the top six all came from the 1999-2000 squad - racking up a 9.6 to win the floor exercise.

"I definitely think she has a lot more fun on that event than others," said JCHS coach Lora Schlosser. "She hit some of her big jumps. Her tumbling was good. ... Her dance elements were really good."

Runyon was strong from start to finish, landing the double full (back flip with two twists) to end her first tumbling pass. She went on to post the best score of her career to earn the victory.

And, she was just one tenth of a point short of Hannah Williams' school record.

Runyon said she feels she's more calm on the floor exercise than some of her other events.

"I'm still a little bit nervous, but it's just not as much," she said. "Because it goes along with the music and you can time yourself to it.

"After I landed my double a little short - I just piked it down a little bit - I just kept my confidence up and kept going."

Runyon was also third in the all-around with a score of 34.575 behind Caitlyn Catania (37.45), who finished fourth in the state all-around competition last season, and Chelsea Scott (34.7) of Hagerstown. Catania won the vault (9.6), balance beam (9.35) and uneven bars (9.0).

The victory on the floor exercise was the lone win of the night for the Patriots. However, it wasn't the only event on which a Jay County gymnast approached a school record.

Katie Snyder also turned in an impressive performance on with her piked Tsukahara on the vault. She finished second overall with a 9.5, just 0.75 points short of the school record held by Danae Klatt.

Her effort led the Patriots to a team total of 27.0 on the vault, the fifth-best in school history. Melynda Brackman and Kristen Ainsworth each added scores of 8.75.

Jay County also posted top-10 scores in school history on the floor and bars at 26.5 and 24.575 respectively.

Snyder followed up Runyon's floor score with an 8.65, finishing her first and third tumbling passes with clean layouts. Schlosser said she hopes to see the freshman add a twist for the sectional meet, which is Saturday, March 6, at Muncie Central.

"She's a strong tumbler," said Schlosser. "She needs to upgrade that now. For sectionals, she's going to work on getting her full. She can do it ..."

Brackman and Ainsworth each added scores of 8.25 on the floor.

Runyon finished third overall on the bars as the Patriots reached their goal of posting three scores of 8.0 or higher. She tallied an 8.325 to finish ahead of Ainsworth (8.2) and Snyder (8.05).

Ainsworth led Jay County on the balance beam with a solid, no-fall routine for an 8.4. Snyder held on to the last jump in her routine for another no-fall effort for an 8.2, and Runyon scored an 8.0.

"She's got some big jump skills," said Schlosser of Ainsworth. "I'm hoping this next two weeks she can work through (things) and she can throw some of her bigger (tumbling) skills."

"Kyli (Kelso), I was really glad she finally stayed on the beam - she only fell once," she added of the junior, who posted a 7.95. "She finally showed me what I know she's capable of. I'm hoping to improve on that these next two weeks ..."

Jay County will be one of the favorites to post a top-three finish and advance out of the Muncie Central sectional. Huntington North, which has a top score of 104.05 this season, is the favorite, followed by the Patriots and defending champion Marion (98.8).

Schlosser said she expects that JCHS can improve its score at the sectional if the team is able to hit everything on the same day, especially three no-fall beam routines.

"We just need to clean stuff up," added Runyon. "I think everyone just needs to get a good head on their shoulders and clean stuff up before sectional. We already have good routines, we just need to perfect them."

In junior varsity action, freshman Jenna Barber posted the high score for the Patriots as she won the vault with an 8.6. Other event winners were Jessi Chittum (7.45) on the floor, Melynda Brackman (6.85) on the beam and Cortney Myers (6.15) on the bars.[[In-content Ad]]