Snyder back to lead JC

After getting a taste of the state finals on vault as a freshman, Katie Snyder set her sights on an all-around state berth.
She seemed well on her way early last season before a February fall from the uneven bars left her with a broken left arm.
A year later she is back to lead the Jay County High School gymnastics team, which opens its season today at Marion at 6 p.m., with her focus once again set on the state finals.
“She’s definitely going to lead the team this year,” said JCHS coach Lora Schlosser. “I know she’s aiming for state and she’s aiming to beat that (JCHS vault record) from Danae (Klatt). That’s what she’s wanting to do.”
Snyder’s strongest event remains the vault, where she scored a 9.35 during the 2009 regional meet to earn a state berth. She went on to score a 9.3 at the state finals, finishing 29th out of 49 competitors.
The junior will roll out a new vault — a Yurchenko — this season after performing the Tsukahara (half turn into a back somersault) the last two years. Schlosser said she believes the new vault, which is a round-off onto the springboard followed by a back handspring onto the vaulting table and then a somersault, will help Snyder’s scoring.
“It’s actually not worth any more,” she said, “but it should clean up and take away some of the deductions.”
Snyder’s top career scores on other events are 9.25 on the floor exercise, 8.8 on the balance beam and 8.7 on the bars. And before her injury last season she set her career-high all-around score of 35.425 in a dual meet at Muncie Central.
The final state-qualifying score at the Huntington North regional meet last season was a 35.4 by Oak Hill’s Brittany Pond.
“It’s her hard work, dedication,” said Schlosser. “She’s typically not scared. She’s just determined to do well and determined to get to state.”
Even without Snyder at the 2010 sectional the Patriot team picked up a third consecutive runner-up finish and a ninth straight trip to the regional.
The squad expects to be among the best teams in the Muncie Central tournament again this season, with sophomore Tasya Smith and freshman Malarie Houck joining Snyder as all-around competitors.
Smith is the only returning gymnast to score for Jay County on every sectional event last season as the squad lost Kristen Ainsworth and foreign exchange student Nikita Gundersen to graduation. She just missed a top-six finish on the uneven bars, placing seventh with a 7.7, and posted her top score with an 8.5 on the vault.
“Her strength will be vault, and then probably bars,” said Schlosser. “She’s a natural to bars.
“She’ll be a strong all-around gymnast again. We’re just trying to clean up what she has. She has a good, solid base.”
Houck, who was a starter on the volleyball team in the fall, returns to gymnastics after spending about four years away from the sport. Schlosser said she’s struggled a bit on bars thus far, but should be a solid all-around performer for the team.
“Everywhere else I think she’s pretty much up to par with where she left,” said Schlosser. “She’s just a natural athlete. She’s strong.
“I really have high hopes for her every year to build.”
Seniors Cortney Myers and Shelby Pryor will also be key contributors.
Myers came through for the Patriots on the vault at the 2011 sectional meet, posting their best score on the event with an 8.5. She is the No. 3 returning scorer on both the vault and bars.
Pryor’s top event is the floor, where she holds a career-best score of 8.35.
Lauren Runkle is the No. 3 returning athlete on the balance beam with a 6.925, Olivia Cash’s best career score is an 8.1 on the vault and newcomers Ericka Reynolds, a sophomore, and Alexis Murrell, a freshman, round out the squad.
Schlosser said she expects her team to advance to the regional for the 10th straight season, and hopefully match what they were able to do in 2011 in terms of a team score. JCHS scored a 98.05 for second place at the sectional meet, but had posted a 101.65 earlier in the season before Snyder’s injury.
“As a team I think we should have a solid score,” said Schlosser. “I think if we start out at 98 we only have room to grow.”[[In-content Ad]]