Jay County hits 100 (02/10/04)

PORTLAND — Jay County’s top sectional rival came to town Monday. It headed back home scorched by the century mark.

The Patriot gymnastics team put up its best score of the year, breaking the 100-point barrier for the first time since the 2000-01 season to top the Delta Eagles 100.25-95.225.

“We’re thrilled,” said senior Amanda Knight. “Because Lacey (Grider) was hurt we knew we had to step up and take her place.

“Kristin Brown was awesome on floor, and Lacey Thornburg did a Tsukahara on vault.”

Grider suffered a likely tear of the ACL in her left knee at the Marion Invitational Saturday, where Jay County finished sixth. She will have an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury.

The team was also just getting Melissa Fifer back after she suffered an arm injury a week earlier.

Coach Kristin Rees said she’s been impressed with the way her team has handled the adversity.

“We only beat Delta by four tenths on Saturday,” she said. “I was concerned we would come into this meet nervous, kind of like we did against Connersville.

“They really stepped up. Different people in different places just took over.

“Things are falling into place when they could have been falling apart.”

Jay County lost to the Connersville Spartans earlier in the season, posting their second-lowest score of the year. The Patriots will get a chance to avenge that defeat Saturday at the Olympic Athletic Conference meet at Connersville.

The Spartans have won 14 of the last 15 OAC titles.

Monday was a night of big-time efforts for the Patriots as they posted the No. 10 team score in school history.

Hannah Williams had an outstanding night, winning the all-around competition with a total of 35.6. That mark was the third best score ever by a Jay County gymnast.

Williams was wonderful on the floor exercise as usual. She landed her double full to cap her first tumbling pass on the way to a 9.5.

She also hit both of her Tsukaharas on the vault en route to a 9.2.

Both were personal-best scores for the sophomore, ranking her second and third in school history respectively.

Williams also took first for the Patriots with an 8.65 on the balance beam and an 8.35 on the uneven parallel bars.

Brown was excellent on the floor as well, posting the best score of her career with an 8.7 to take second place.

Fifer was part of a great balance beam night for the Patriots. Each of their first four varsity competitors finished without a fall.

Fifer, who only competed on the beam as she returned from the injury, finished second with a 7.9. Kayla Smith, Brittany Bauman and Knight also completed their routines without a trip to the ground, with Smith grabbing the third-best score for Jay County with a 7.75.

Smith said the key for her was to just stay calm and concentrate on breathing during her routine. Fifer had another trick.

“Kristin (Rees) told me my beam routine was too fast because I get nervous,” said Fifer. “She told me to think of a slow song and sing it in my head. It got slower and (my routine) flowed better.”

Knight and Thornburg keyed the big night behind Williams on the vault.

Knight was near perfect on both of her attempts to put up a second-place 8.75, and Thornburg’s pair of Tsukaharas earned her an 8.4.

The pair switched positions on the bars, with Thornburg grabbing the No. 2 team score with a 7.75 and Knight following with a 7.6.

Fifer said the Patriots can now look to even bigger targets, including OAC and sectional titles.

“I think as a team we can do a lot better,” she said. “Our goal was to score 100. Now that we’ve got that, I think we can go higher.”

Before heading to the OAC meet the Patriots will host Muncie Central Wednesday at 6:45 p.m.

Junior varsity

Jay County won every event in the junior varsity competition.

Heather Stevens and Kayla Smith each picked up a couple of victories.

Stevens was first on the vault with a 7.8, and won the beam with a 5.35. Smith was victorious on the floor with a 7.45 and the bars with a 6.45.[[In-content Ad]]