Patriots set season high

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At their first meet of the season the Patriots sniffed 100 points.

They fell just shy — less than a point — and made it their mission to reach the plateau.

All five competitors put up strong showings on the uneven bars.

A trio posted best scores on floor exercise.

Karlie Bullard had a career night.

Monday, the Patriots reached their goal.

Bullard set career-high scores on three events and the Jay County High School gymnastics team had its best total on bars in scoring 100.2 in a five-team meet at Jay School Corporation’s Central Office.

“I’m really, really excited to get 100.2 because it’s never happened for me,” said second-year coach Jill Ranly. The last time the Patriots scored 100 or better was 102.175 at the March 9, 2015, sectional meet. “That was one of our goals for the whole year.

“It was nice to see those high scores today.”

The Richmond Red Devils totaled 100.85 points to edge Jay County, which was competing at home for the first time this season, for first place. Muncie Central tallied 82.3 points for third. Centerville and Seton Catholic each only had two gymnasts so they did not qualify for a team score.

“After the first meet this season we were so close (to 100),” said Bullard, a junior, who helped the Patriots reach their highest score by finishing first with a career-best all-around total of 35.15. “It only goes up from here. That’s what we’ve been pushing toward.”

Bullard’s first stellar performance of the night came on bars as she scored 8.6, besting her previous high score of 8.45. She admitted, too, she was nervous going in because she wasn’t pleased with how she warmed up.

Her routine capped a night in which all five Patriots who competed on the event — Kenzie Ring (8.8 – second place), Riley Leavell (7.825), Rachel Louck (7.625) and Paige Howell (7.125) each earned career-bests.

“We have come so far on bars,” Ranly said. “I don’t even know what happened but Saturday (at the Marion Invitational) it set something in motion that everybody is just trying to improve on bars.”

From there the Patriots moved over to floor and proceeded to set two career-highs and tie another. Randi Ferguson kicked things off by tying her best with an 8.1. Howell fell on her first tumbling pass but still scored 8.225 for a new high score. Bullard rocked her routine, complete with her newly-added one-and-one-half twist, and got a 9.45, four-hundredths of a point better than her previous best.

“That was huge,” Bullard said. She was across the mat near the crowd and away from the judges when her score was shown and she burst into a smile when she noticed it.

“On the floor I was super excited about the girls trying new skills,” Ranly said.

Bullard added 8.6 on vault to finish first and had 8.25 on beam (fourth) to complete her all-around total.

Ring also had 8.325 on floor, 8.4 on vault and 7.95 on beam to finish sixth with an all-around score of 33.475.

Louck’s all-around total of 31.25 also included an 8.275 on floor, 8.125 on vault and 7.225 on beam. Howell was Jay County’s fourth and final all-around competitor. She scored 29.475 with an 8.05 on vault and 6.075 on beam.

Leavell’s highest score came on vault, an 8.25, and she also had 7.0 on beam but did not compete on bars. Ferguson contributed 7.1 on beam.

“We’ve all been working really, really hard,” Bullard said. “You get what you put in at the gym, practicing hard. We’ve all been working on improving our skills so just putting those in there, it’s like the perfect meet to put them in there because it’s toward the end of the season.

“Putting them in there and receiving high scores is just a really good feeling.”