Sights set on state

The last year included a lot of tears for Katie Snyder.
There was even fear that she would never compete again.
She has already dispelled that theory, and will try to prove she is better than ever on Friday night.
Snyder has her sights set on an all-around state berth as the Jay County High School gymnastics team prepares for the regional meet at Huntington North.
“That’s been her overall goal, mission,” said JCHS coach Lora Schlosser. “That’s what she’s been striving for. I think she feels cheated from last year, not getting to go. I know it’s a big desire to go (to state).”
Snyder represents the Patriots’ best chance to advance through the regional, from which the top two teams and the top six individuals on each event  earn state berths. Even though she had an off day at the Muncie Central sectional, her scores there have her seeded among the top six for the regional in two events and eighth in the all-around.
Tasya Smith, a sophomore, is seeded seventh on the uneven bars after posting a career-best 8.35 in sectional competition.
Bishop Dwenger is a heavy favorite to win its 12th regional title in 13 years after posting a 109.95 Saturday to win the Concordia sectional title. Huntington North is the No. 2 seed at 105.275, and Jay County (100.775) sits fifth in the six-team field also trailing Homestead (103.45) and Carroll (103.325).
Snyder was a state qualifier on the vault during her freshman season,  and gave up cheerleading as a sophomore in order to focus on gymnastics with an all-around state berth in mind. But she broke her left arm when she fell from the high bar at the 2011 Connersville Invitational, ending her sophomore season.
She looks at Friday’s meet as a chance to put last season’s bad memories behind her.
“Last year was rough,” said Snyder. “I cried. .... At sectional we started on vault and I bawled the entire way through. Going back (to state) this year, if I make it, would be a big breakthrough.”
She will have a chance to place in the top six in all four events and the all-around at the regional as she enters as the No. 6 seed on the floor (9.05) and bars (8.825). Her other sectional scores were a 9.2 on vault, a 7.475 on beam and a 34.35 in the all-around.
The other sixth seeds are Rachel Pratt of Carroll on beam (8.9), Taylor Ross of Homestead on vault (9.3) and Brittany Trahin of Bishop Dwenger in the all-around (35.55).
Snyder is especially focusing on the vault, on which she hopes to break the school record — a 9.575 by Danae Klatt — and have a chance at a state medal. She has been performing her Yurchenko in the pike position on the event throughout the season, but said she’s going to try for a layout this week.
That would increase her start value from a 9.8 to a 10.0.
“On vault, I believe we need to score a 9.4 or better,” said Schlosser. “She’s hugged closer to a 9.2 most of the season, so she’s really got to be dead on because there are going to be a lot of good vaults there.”
Malarie Houck, a freshman, and Smith could also have an outside shot at the state finals.
If Smith could repeat her career-best sectional effort on the bars, she would need only for one of the top six seeds to have an off day in order to jump onto the regional podium.
Houck was the only Patriot athlete to place in the top six on the balance beam at the sectional. And if she could match her career-best score of 8.675, it would likely put her in contention for the top six.
“I’d like to see her hit her beam routine, no falls, score that good 8.6, 8.7,” said Schlosser. “If a few of the other girls take a fall, you don’t know where that might lead you.
“One fall can make or break a girl’s beam routine.”
For the group as a whole, and especially seniors Cortney Myers and Shelby Pryor, Schlosser said she hopes her Patriots can finish strong and surpass their season-high score of 101.25.
“I’d like to break 102,” she said. “That would be nice. It would be good for the team to end on that note.”[[In-content Ad]]