Patriots 2nd in conference (02/16/2009)

CONNERSVILLE - The Patriots finished as runners-up again Saturday. But the were not behind the team that usually foils them.

Jay County High School's gymnastics team finished second Saturday at the Olympic Athletic Conference tournament, scoring 97.55 points. Muncie Southside won its first OAC crown in school history with 99.475 points while defending champion Connersville was third with 96.55.

The host Spartans had won 20 of the previous 22 OAC championships, broken only by Lafayette Harrison in 1997 and Jay County in 2005.

The highest placing for the Patriots in any event came from Nadlie Runyon, who tied for the runner-up spot on the uneven bars. She and Connersville's Devyn Duncan each posted scores of 8.3.

Southside's Brittany Fisher won every event with scores of 9.6 on the floor exercise, 9.5 on the vault, 9.35 on the balance beam and 9.025 on the uneven bars. She took the all-around competition by nearly three points at 37.475.

Duncan was second on three events and finished as the all-around runner-up with 34.5 points.

In addition to her runner-up bars finish, Runyon was third on the beam (8.45) and floor (8.925). She finished third in the all-around at 34.225.

Kristen Ainsworth took third place behind Runyon on the bars with a 7.85. She added scores of 8.65 on the vault, 7.35 on the beam and 8.275 on the floor.

Lexie Rowles was the only other Patriot to crack the top three, placing third on the vault with an 8.75. Stormi Metcalf scored on three events for JCHS with an 8.6 on the vault, 7.45 on the bars and 6.95 on the beam.

Melynda Brackman and Shelby Pryor each finished at 8.0 on the floor.[[In-content Ad]]