July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Jay Co.'s Hannah Williams finishes as state runner-up (03/21/05)
JCHS gymnastics
Jay Co.'s Hannah Williams finishes as state runner-up (03/21/05)
By By RAY COONEY-
INDIANAPOLIS — She’s Hannah Williams, and she’s good at beam.
Prior to the announcement of results Saturday, Jay County gymnastics coach Kristin Millspaugh asked Williams where she would have to place among the state’s 50 competitors to be convinced that she was good at the balance beam. Although Williams never really gave an answer, the judges made their feelings about her talents as clear as can be.
Williams finished as the state runner-up on the balance beam Saturday, scoring a 9.35 at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals at Perry Meridian.
“I thought it was awesome that I got a place,” said Williams. “I didn’t expect it. I just expected to come here and have fun. I guess I should go into every meet doing that.
“I never imagined placing. I’m just excited. I don’t know what to say.”
Williams was just 25 thousandths of a point behind champion Megan Cherry, a junior from Hobart. She is the first Patriot gymnast to ever place in the top six at the state meet. And, the result guarantees her a well-deserved spot on the Jay County Wall of Fame.
“Nobody ever imagined this ...” said Millspaugh. “It was beyond our wildest dreams that she would be state runner-up on beam. Not that we didn’t think she was confident enough to do that, but she’s not one of the gymnasts who’s been here three or four years in a row. I thought it would be kind of intimidating. (But), she was relaxed going into every event.”
After finishing fifth in the all-around at the Huntington North regional last week, Williams placed 12th Saturday and was just 0.625 points away from an all-around medal. She finished in the top half among state competitors in three of her four events, placing 16th on the floor, 22nd on the uneven parallel bars and 27th on the vault.
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger won the team competition (112-825), earning its second state title in three years as freshman all-around champion Jeanna Van Hoey (38.025) led the way. Lawrence Central was a close second at 112.475, and Center Grove was third with 110.625.
Joining Cherry with individual event titles were Van Hoey (9.55) on the bars, Natalie Hesler of Center Grove (9.75) on the floor and Lawrence Central’s Ashley Jacob (9.9) on the vault. Cherry, a regional vault champion, suffered a knee injury on her first tumbling pass on the floor exercise and could not complete her floor routine or compete on the vault.
Williams, who finished 11th in the state on the beam as a freshman, was about as perfect as she could be as she competed 35th among the 50 state competitors on the beam. She hit everything from her mount to her back walkover, to her back tuck and her twisting dismount. Her few wobbles were ever so slight that anyone other than a judge probably didn’t see them.
Her 9.35 put her behind Cherry, who had competed 15 spots earlier. And, none of the final 15 competitors could displace either of them.
“I stayed on,” Williams said, simply explaining why she fared so well on the state’s biggest stage. “I was just trying to keep it slow. I started to calm myself down if I was getting shaky.”
Part of her success came from doing the routine she’s done all year, and doing it perfectly. Several state competitors tried adding new, more difficult elements for the state meet and suffered falls. Williams added only the twist to her dismount and was spectacular.
“That beam routine, as far as what skills were in it, is the same as she competed last year,” said Millspaugh. “We focused on the other three events adding difficulty ... That’s probably a big part of it, just being comfortable.”
Williams was great on the floor as well, doing one of her best routines of the year. Although she fell in warm-ups every time she attempted the double back which ends her first tumbling pass, she nailed it in competition.
Still, her 9.1 could have been even better, as after a conference between the four judges one of her tumbling passes wasn’t counted. They decided she was slightly out of position on her forward pass, costing her two tenths. Those points would have bumped her up at least to a tie for 10th place on the floor and eighth in the all-around.
Along with the double back on floor she was able to land the bar dismount, which had also given her trouble, en route to an 8.95. On the vault she hit both of her piked Tsukaharas for a 9.05.
Williams said she felt good about the day as a whole because “this was about the best I could do on everything.”
Her coach agreed.
“Everything was solid,” said Millspaugh. “That’s the first time she’s hit two pike-Tsuks in a meet ever. It’s only the second time she’s ever tried it.
“That’s definitely the best bar routine she’s ever done. Beam was not wobbly, no form breaks. ... I don’t think she could’ve done any event better than she did today.”[[In-content Ad]]
Prior to the announcement of results Saturday, Jay County gymnastics coach Kristin Millspaugh asked Williams where she would have to place among the state’s 50 competitors to be convinced that she was good at the balance beam. Although Williams never really gave an answer, the judges made their feelings about her talents as clear as can be.
Williams finished as the state runner-up on the balance beam Saturday, scoring a 9.35 at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals at Perry Meridian.
“I thought it was awesome that I got a place,” said Williams. “I didn’t expect it. I just expected to come here and have fun. I guess I should go into every meet doing that.
“I never imagined placing. I’m just excited. I don’t know what to say.”
Williams was just 25 thousandths of a point behind champion Megan Cherry, a junior from Hobart. She is the first Patriot gymnast to ever place in the top six at the state meet. And, the result guarantees her a well-deserved spot on the Jay County Wall of Fame.
“Nobody ever imagined this ...” said Millspaugh. “It was beyond our wildest dreams that she would be state runner-up on beam. Not that we didn’t think she was confident enough to do that, but she’s not one of the gymnasts who’s been here three or four years in a row. I thought it would be kind of intimidating. (But), she was relaxed going into every event.”
After finishing fifth in the all-around at the Huntington North regional last week, Williams placed 12th Saturday and was just 0.625 points away from an all-around medal. She finished in the top half among state competitors in three of her four events, placing 16th on the floor, 22nd on the uneven parallel bars and 27th on the vault.
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger won the team competition (112-825), earning its second state title in three years as freshman all-around champion Jeanna Van Hoey (38.025) led the way. Lawrence Central was a close second at 112.475, and Center Grove was third with 110.625.
Joining Cherry with individual event titles were Van Hoey (9.55) on the bars, Natalie Hesler of Center Grove (9.75) on the floor and Lawrence Central’s Ashley Jacob (9.9) on the vault. Cherry, a regional vault champion, suffered a knee injury on her first tumbling pass on the floor exercise and could not complete her floor routine or compete on the vault.
Williams, who finished 11th in the state on the beam as a freshman, was about as perfect as she could be as she competed 35th among the 50 state competitors on the beam. She hit everything from her mount to her back walkover, to her back tuck and her twisting dismount. Her few wobbles were ever so slight that anyone other than a judge probably didn’t see them.
Her 9.35 put her behind Cherry, who had competed 15 spots earlier. And, none of the final 15 competitors could displace either of them.
“I stayed on,” Williams said, simply explaining why she fared so well on the state’s biggest stage. “I was just trying to keep it slow. I started to calm myself down if I was getting shaky.”
Part of her success came from doing the routine she’s done all year, and doing it perfectly. Several state competitors tried adding new, more difficult elements for the state meet and suffered falls. Williams added only the twist to her dismount and was spectacular.
“That beam routine, as far as what skills were in it, is the same as she competed last year,” said Millspaugh. “We focused on the other three events adding difficulty ... That’s probably a big part of it, just being comfortable.”
Williams was great on the floor as well, doing one of her best routines of the year. Although she fell in warm-ups every time she attempted the double back which ends her first tumbling pass, she nailed it in competition.
Still, her 9.1 could have been even better, as after a conference between the four judges one of her tumbling passes wasn’t counted. They decided she was slightly out of position on her forward pass, costing her two tenths. Those points would have bumped her up at least to a tie for 10th place on the floor and eighth in the all-around.
Along with the double back on floor she was able to land the bar dismount, which had also given her trouble, en route to an 8.95. On the vault she hit both of her piked Tsukaharas for a 9.05.
Williams said she felt good about the day as a whole because “this was about the best I could do on everything.”
Her coach agreed.
“Everything was solid,” said Millspaugh. “That’s the first time she’s hit two pike-Tsuks in a meet ever. It’s only the second time she’s ever tried it.
“That’s definitely the best bar routine she’s ever done. Beam was not wobbly, no form breaks. ... I don’t think she could’ve done any event better than she did today.”[[In-content Ad]]
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