Best of season (01/30/08)

The conference title won't be decided for another few weeks. But the Patriots have posititioned themselves as the team to beat.

For the second straight meet, the Jay County High School gymnastics team posted its season-best score Tuesday in a 97.25-93.05 victory over the Muncie Southside Rebels.

They also defeated the Connersville Spartans Jan. 16, giving them a 2-0 Olympic Athletic Conference mark heading into the conference championships Feb. 9.

"We were really happy with tonight," said JCHS coach Kristin Millspaugh, whose team's previous best of the season was a a 96.675 Saturday at New Castle. "It's always exciting to have your season-high team score."

Jay County stood strong as it went up against Southside's Brittany Fisher, who was the 2007 floor exercise and all-around sectional champion.

Erika Hunt, a Patriot senior, topped Fisher on the floor exercise, and freshman Kristen Ainsworth won the uneven bars. Fisher, who finished second in the 2007 sectional on the bars, vault and beam, took first on the vault and balance beam Tuesday.

Hunt turned in a career-best scored to win the floor with an 8.95, just missing the first 9.0 of her career, while Fisher finished second at 8.75. Hunt's previous best was an 8.85.

Ainsworth eked out the vault victory with an 8.3. Fisher was second at 8.25.

Fisher's first-place scores on the vault (9.35) and beam (8.95) earned her the top all-around total of 35.3. However, only one other Rebel gymnast cracked the top three in an event. That effort came from Katelyn Cole with a 7.4 for third place on the beam.

Ainsworth posted a 33.3 all-round total and was in the top three on every event. She was second behind Fisher with a 7.7 on the beam, with her only fall coming as she slipped on her dismount.

She was third on both the floor (8.7) and vault (8.6), where she tied with senior teammate Kendra Homan.

Hunt was the vault runner-up with an 8.7, and she took third on the bars with a 7.95.

Jenny Buckland returned after missing two weeks with an ankle injury to post an 8.0 on the floor, her highest score of the season in that event.

Stormi Metcalf scored for the Patriots in two events, including a 7.4 on the bars. She also capped an impressive start for the team on the beam, making several great saves for a third consecutive no-fall routine on the event for a 7.3. Lexie Rowles had a 7.05.

Kyli Kelso kicked off the beam with a no-fall routine, which included her first unassisted back handspring. She scored a 7.4 competing at the junior varsity level, and Homan followed with a no-fall 7.6 to win the JV competition.

Jay County won all four junior varsity events, with Homan adding a win on the bars (6.15) to go along with her beam victory. Kayci Ryder turned in the highest JV score with an 8.1 to win the vault, and Lexie Rowles took first on the floor with a 7.4.[[In-content Ad]]