Hurt Williams still leads Jay (02/22/04)

HAGERSTOWN — If Jay County defensive coordinator Tim Millspaugh needs an extra linebacker next season, he might just look to his wife’s gymnastics team for help.

Junior Hannah Williams led the Patriots with a gutsy effort Monday as they knocked off the host Hagerstown Tigers 99.875-97.85.

Williams was hurt during warm-ups when she whacked her right foot on the low bar while performing a Giant. Despite a temporarily bloodied big toe and some swelling, she came back after being held out of the vault to compete in the final three events and win two of them.

“That’s huge,” said Jay County coach Kristin Millspaugh. “There are people on every team who would get scared... It has to be encouraging for (her teammates) to know that it means enough to her that she would still go out there and do stuff with an injury like that. She sets a good example.”

The Patriots also got a huge effort from freshman Erika Hunt, who scored for the team in every event and finished with a third-place all-around score of 32.475. Hagerstown took the top two all-around spots with Ashton Davis first (33.475) and Melissa Tinkle second (32.70).

Although she was performing watered down routines to try to protect her foot and was clearly still in some pain, Williams showed just how tough she is by placing in the top three in all three events she competed in. That included leading a Patriot sweep of the floor.

She pulled her double-full from the floor exercise routine, but still racked up a 9.75 for first place.

Williams also got plenty of help on the floor, with Kristin Brown and Hunt stepping in behind her. Brown put up one of her best scores of the year with an 8.95, and Hunt shattered her personal best with an 8.85. Her previous high mark was an 8.45.

“Floor I was really happy with because we added more difficulty,” said Millspaugh. “Erika is getting more consistent with the full. Kristin through the full on the last pass. Lacey (Grider, who scored an 8.4) looked like she had more endurance than she’s had recently. And scores were good. It’s so nice to be able to see the improvement and watch them do the stuff they work on in practice and get rewarded for it.”

Williams also won the balance beam with a score of 8.65 despite pulling her back tuck and several other of her more difficult elements.

She was third on the uneven parallel bars, where she did not perform the Giant, with an 8.2.

It was her teammates on bars along with those on floor who lifted the team to the win.

Davis was first on the bars with an 8.725, but the Patriots took the event overall thanks to posting the next four best scores. Sophomore Lacey Thornburg grabbed second place with an 8.275, and was followed by Williams.

Then Hunt and senior Makenzie Knight earned matching 8.025s to share fourth place as Jay County outscored the Tigers 24.5-23.05 on the event. That number along with the 27.275-25.3 advantage on the floor allowed the Patriots to overcome defeats on the other two events.

“That’s pretty impressive,” said Millspaugh of the efforts on floor and bars, “because lots of times when they know they don’t have Hannah or she’s not at full strength it’s really easier to kind of shut down and give up instead of somebody stepping up and doing a little extra. But tonight they (stepped up).”

Senior Melissa Fifer was the only Jay County gymnast to place on the vault as she notched a third-place 8.15. Hagerstown’s Amanda Lakes won with an 8.4, and Tinkle ws next with an 8.2.

Fifer was followed by Hunt with an 8.05 and Sarah Ullom with a 7.8.

Williams was the only Patriot to reach the top three on the balance beam as Davis took second (8.45) and Tinkle was third (8.35). Fifer posted a 7.9, and Hunt had a 7.55.

“Although scores were fairly low, I really was happy with (the fact that) we had four solid beam routines with only one fall,” said Millspaugh, thinking ahead to the March 5 sectional meet. “... They have to really get consistent about hitting and they have lately. That seems to be getting better.”[[In-content Ad]]