July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Williams places 6th on beam (03/20/06)
JCHS gymnastics
Williams places 6th on beam (03/20/06)
By By MIKE SNYDER-
INDIANAPOLIS — Some might feel the results from the final competition of her outstanding career were sub-standard, but only because the standards Hannah Williams had set in the past were so high.
Williams, wrapping up her high school gymnastics career with her third appearance in four years at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals Saturday, put together a solid routine on the balance beam — her final event of the day and her prep career — to earn sixth place and a spot on the state finals podium.
“I just wanted to do the best that I could,” Williams said, who scored a 9.325. “When I was getting ready to do beam it hit me it was the last time I would ever do beam in high school. I had a couple wobbles, but it was pretty much as good as I can do.”
Williams, who was runner-up on the beam in 2005, was solid and pleased with her efforts in the other three events and finished 13th out of 29 all-around competitors. Her all-around score was 36.70.
JCHS gymnastics coach Kristin Millspaugh, who pointed out that last year’s beam state champion finished 42nd on Saturday, said Williams “had four of the best routines she’d had all season. We’re very happy with the way she performed.”
“A lot of people thought I should win this year,” Williams said, “but there was a lot of competition and really good girls there.”
Williams, who had also qualified for the state meet as a freshman and junior, finished as the runner-up on the balance team last season to Hobart’s Megan Cherry.
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger defended its state championship Saturday at Perry Meridian High School by the narrowest of margins, edging Center Grove by just two tenths of a point (113.30 to 113.10).
Lawrence Central’s Ashley Jacob was the all-around champion, winning floor exercise (9.8) and finishing second on vault, uneven parallel bars and beam.
Other state champions were Katelyn Fernandes of Center Grove on vault (9.9), Jeanna Glick of Fort Wayne Snider on beam (9.6) and Jeanna Van Hoey of Dwenger on bars (9.775).
Williams, a two-time all-around champ in the Olympic Athletic Conference, also collected 11 sectional titles during her career.
In her other three events besides beam on Saturday, she finished 26th (bars, 8.850), 27th (vault, 9.350) and 28th (floor exercise, 9.175).
A state finals veteran who says she was “in awe” of her competition during her first trip as a freshman, Williams didn’t have any time to be nervous on Saturday as she was the first competitor on the floor exercise.
She remained the first competitor in her group on vault, bars and beam, as well.
She said that the other three events “were as solid as they could get ... I thought it was probably one of my best performances.”
Williams said she was impressed with the level of her competition on Saturday.
“There was a lot more difficulty (in routines) than there usually is, and they were hitting it pretty good,” she said.
Her coach agreed: “We may have seen some difficulty attempted last year, but not very well. A lot more difficult skills were being performed cleanly ... I think almost this year that sixth place on beam is as impressive as second place was last year,” Millspaugh said.
One of the individual highlights on Saturday was the vault by Center Grove’s Fernandes. Her performance brought most of the crowd to its feet — even those from competing schools. And that roar was repeated minutes later when the score of 9.9 was flashed.
“That was pretty awesome,” said Williams, who watched Fernandes’ effort.
Jay County’s Millspaugh said her only disappointment on Saturday was the fact that Williams did not win the Mildred M. Ball Mental Attitude Award. The award instead went to Glick of Fort Wayne Snider, who ranks 15th in a senior class of 449 students. She also competed in volleyball and swimming and diving in high school.
“(Williams is) obviously talented and she’s gotten rewards for that ... but something that stands out to me is her attitude. That would have made it a perfect day for me, whether she placed or not,” Millspaugh said.
“That’s what I’ll miss coaching the most — not necessarily her talent, but just the attitude she comes to practice with every day.”[[In-content Ad]]
Williams, wrapping up her high school gymnastics career with her third appearance in four years at the IHSAA Gymnastics State Finals Saturday, put together a solid routine on the balance beam — her final event of the day and her prep career — to earn sixth place and a spot on the state finals podium.
“I just wanted to do the best that I could,” Williams said, who scored a 9.325. “When I was getting ready to do beam it hit me it was the last time I would ever do beam in high school. I had a couple wobbles, but it was pretty much as good as I can do.”
Williams, who was runner-up on the beam in 2005, was solid and pleased with her efforts in the other three events and finished 13th out of 29 all-around competitors. Her all-around score was 36.70.
JCHS gymnastics coach Kristin Millspaugh, who pointed out that last year’s beam state champion finished 42nd on Saturday, said Williams “had four of the best routines she’d had all season. We’re very happy with the way she performed.”
“A lot of people thought I should win this year,” Williams said, “but there was a lot of competition and really good girls there.”
Williams, who had also qualified for the state meet as a freshman and junior, finished as the runner-up on the balance team last season to Hobart’s Megan Cherry.
Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger defended its state championship Saturday at Perry Meridian High School by the narrowest of margins, edging Center Grove by just two tenths of a point (113.30 to 113.10).
Lawrence Central’s Ashley Jacob was the all-around champion, winning floor exercise (9.8) and finishing second on vault, uneven parallel bars and beam.
Other state champions were Katelyn Fernandes of Center Grove on vault (9.9), Jeanna Glick of Fort Wayne Snider on beam (9.6) and Jeanna Van Hoey of Dwenger on bars (9.775).
Williams, a two-time all-around champ in the Olympic Athletic Conference, also collected 11 sectional titles during her career.
In her other three events besides beam on Saturday, she finished 26th (bars, 8.850), 27th (vault, 9.350) and 28th (floor exercise, 9.175).
A state finals veteran who says she was “in awe” of her competition during her first trip as a freshman, Williams didn’t have any time to be nervous on Saturday as she was the first competitor on the floor exercise.
She remained the first competitor in her group on vault, bars and beam, as well.
She said that the other three events “were as solid as they could get ... I thought it was probably one of my best performances.”
Williams said she was impressed with the level of her competition on Saturday.
“There was a lot more difficulty (in routines) than there usually is, and they were hitting it pretty good,” she said.
Her coach agreed: “We may have seen some difficulty attempted last year, but not very well. A lot more difficult skills were being performed cleanly ... I think almost this year that sixth place on beam is as impressive as second place was last year,” Millspaugh said.
One of the individual highlights on Saturday was the vault by Center Grove’s Fernandes. Her performance brought most of the crowd to its feet — even those from competing schools. And that roar was repeated minutes later when the score of 9.9 was flashed.
“That was pretty awesome,” said Williams, who watched Fernandes’ effort.
Jay County’s Millspaugh said her only disappointment on Saturday was the fact that Williams did not win the Mildred M. Ball Mental Attitude Award. The award instead went to Glick of Fort Wayne Snider, who ranks 15th in a senior class of 449 students. She also competed in volleyball and swimming and diving in high school.
“(Williams is) obviously talented and she’s gotten rewards for that ... but something that stands out to me is her attitude. That would have made it a perfect day for me, whether she placed or not,” Millspaugh said.
“That’s what I’ll miss coaching the most — not necessarily her talent, but just the attitude she comes to practice with every day.”[[In-content Ad]]
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