Runyon, Snyder qualify

HUNTINGTON - Nadlie Runyon did it again.

And this time, she has some company.

For the second straight year, Runyon overcame a disappointing sectional meet and turned in an incredible regional performance.

The Jay County High School senior won the balance beam regional title Friday night at Huntington North and finished second on the floor exercise. She posted an all-around total of 35.45, nearly two points higher than at the sectional meet, to finish sixth and earn a state berth in every event.

Freshman Katie Snyder will join her at the state meet after finishing tied for sixth on the vault Friday.

The Patriots' team score was an even 100 as they finished fifth out of six teams at the meet.

No. 8 Carroll (107.5) broke 11th-ranked Bishop Dwenger's streak of 10 straight regional titles, but both schools will advance to the state finals. The Saints finished second with 106.1 points.

No. 9 Northrop was third at 105.3 followed by the host Vikings (103), Jay County and Daleville (96.05).

The top two teams and top six individuals in each event and the all-around earned state berths.

Runyon, who posted an all-around score of 33.375 at the sectional, finished her night with a flourish.

After putting up solid scores of 8.6 and 8.3 on the vault and uneven bars respectively, she had her best performance of the year on the balance beam. Turning in a no-fall routine, she turned in a 9.2 to win the regional championship by one tenth of a point over Carroll sophomore Mary Reed.

Runyon was the runner-up on the event last season when she posted a school-record 9.6.

She followed up her winning balance beam routine with yet another good showing on the floor exercise, which has been her strongest event this season. After placing third in the sectional last week, Runyon put up a 9.35 in the regional to finish as the runner-up behind Caitlin Radke of Carroll (9.5).

Radke also won the regional vault title with a score of 9.575, and Concordia's Brannon Springer was the bars champion with a 9.725.

Runyon followed a similar path to the state finals last year, finishing eighth on the balance beam in the sectional meet before taking the runner-up spot at the regional and going on to earn a state medal with a sixth place finish.

Snyder got the Patriots' evening started off strong with her Tsukahara on the vault, their first event. After finishing as the sectional runner-up last week she put up a 9.35 at the regional meet to earn a sixth-place tie with Huntington North's Jessica Baker for a trip to the state finals.

Runyon and Snyder will compete at the IHSAA Gymanstics State Finals at Perry Meridian Saturday, March 20, at 1 p.m. Jay County has had a state medalist in three of the last five years, with Hannah Williams on the balance beam in 2005 and '06 and Runyon last season.

Snyder nearly gave Jay County a pair of state qualifiers on the balance beam as she turned in a no-fall routine for an 8.8. She tied for seventh with Springer, just one tenth of a point behind sixth-place finisher Melissa Chase of Carroll.

She added a 7.7 on the floor and a 7.55 on the bars.

Kristen Ainsworth, who also competed in all four events for the Patriots at the regional meet, had her best effort on the bars. She was 24th with a score of 7.625.

The junior added an 8.575 on the vault, 7.7 on the floor and 7.1 on the beam.

Melynda Brackman, also a junior, scored for the Patriots with her floor exercise tally of 7.85.

Also competing for JCHS Friday were Lexie Rowles (vault - 8.3), Lidnsay Moser (bars - 6.95) and Kyli Kelso (beam - 6.7).

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