Roger MerriamWatertown Public Opinion
WATERTOWN — Harrisburg captured its first Eastern South Dakota Conference gymnastics championship and Watertown and Aberdeen Central each qualified their teams for state on Saturday in the Civic Arena.
The day opened with the Metro Conference meet (five Sioux Falls schools), followed by the nine-team ESD meet. The top nine teams from the two meets (based on Saturday's team scores) punched their tickets to the state Class AA team competition on the opening day of the state meet Feb. 9-10 at Pierre.
Harrisburg snapped Mitchell's four-year run as ESD champions, winning by a 149.3-148.675 margin. Watertown was third at 142.85.
"It wasn't our season high like we had Thursday, but it was still good all things considered," said Watertown head coach Vicky Fisher. "To have our second second-high score was really good for the day we had."
The Class AA teams will compete Thursday in last-chance meets across the state. Watertown will head to Aberdeen for a meet.
The top 40 individuals per event (based on a combination of pre-qualifying, region and last-chance scores) will compete in the indiviudal and all-around competion on the final day of the state meet.
Harrisburg and Mitchell expected to battle
Barring injury or some other unforeseen circ*mstances, it's likely the battle for the Class AA title is going to come down to Harrisburg and defending champion Mitchell.
Katelyn Maeschen led Harrisburg, winning the vault (9.625) and all-around (38.625) and sharing the floor exercise title with Bentley Bates of Mitchell (9.675). Bates also won the balance beam (9.775) and uneven bars (9.75) and took second in the all-around (38.325).
Brinly Sanderson and Meredith Hruby of Harrisburg finished third and fifth, respectively, in the all-around and Mitchell's Olivia Prunty was fourth.
"Harrisburg had a really good day," Fisher said. "I'm not saying they're not good, but they just had a really good day on the beam."
Young Watertown squad making strong finish
A Watertown team with only two seniors has really come on strong after the New Year and is firmly the No. 3 team in the state.
No Arrows had top-5 finishes in events on Saturday by Macy Olsen who did take eighth in the floor exercise, 10th in the uneven bars and sixth in the all-around. Briana McElhany also was eighth in the balance beam.
"Compared to where we were at the beginning of the year, we're finally where we should be," said Fisher. "We had really good floor and vault routines, but the bars were rough. Our beam wasn't great, but it was good."
Aberdeen Central also didn't have any individual placers, but did compile the eighth-best team score among the 14 Class AA teams that competed in the two meets. Coach Michelle Everson's squad has only one senior on its roster and should benefit from competing at state.
Eastern S.D. Conference Results
Team Scores — Harrisburg 149.3, Mitchell 148.675, Watertown 142.85, Pierre 138.55, Brookings 137.6, Yankton 134.775, Aberdeen Central 134.325, Huron 124.1.
Balance Beam — 1. Bentley Bates, Mitchell, 9.775; 2. Katelyn Maeschen, Harrisburg, 9.675; 3. Brinly Sanderson, Harrisburg, 8.4; 4. Meredith Hruby, Harrisburg, 9.325; 5. Ashlynn Andrews, Watertown, 9.225. (8. Briana McElhany, Watertown, 9.1).
Floor Exercise — 1. (Tie) Katelyn Maeschen, Harrisburg, and Bentley Bates, Mitchell, 9.675; 3. Ava Kollar, Yankton, 9.625; 4. Shauna Evenson, Watertown, 9.6; 5. (Tie) Brinly Sanderson and Meredith Hruby, Harrisburg, 9.55. (8. Macy Olsen, Watertown, 9.5).
Uneven Bars — 1, Bentley Bates, Mitchell, 9.75; 2. Katelyn Maeschen, Harrisburg, 9.65; 3. Kyanna Gropper, Mitchell, 9.425; 4. Ailee Johnson, Harrisburg, 9.35; 5. Keyana Kelley, Mitchell, 8.9. (10. Macy Olsen, Watertown, 8.625).
Vault —1. Katelyn Maeschen, Harrisburg, 9.625; 2. Olivia Prunty, Mitchell, 9.6; 3. Keyana Kelley, Mitchell, 9.425; 4. Meredith Hruby, Harrisburg, 9.325; 5. (Tie) Brinly Sanderson, Harrisburg; Ava Kollar, Yankton and Forst Lainee Mitchell, 9.15.
All-Around — 1. Katelyn Maeschen, Harrisburg, 38.625; 2. Bentley Bates, Mitchell, 38.325; 3. Brinly Sanderson, Harrisburg, 36.95; 4. Olivia Prunty, Mitchell, 36.525; 5. Meredith Hruby, Harrisburg, 36.45. (6. Macy Olsen, Watertown, 35.925).
Metro Conference Results
Katy Pellicotte and Teagan Lynch finished 1-2 in the all-around competition to lead O'Gorman to the team championship in the Metro Conference meet.
Pellicotte won the balance beam and all-around. Lynch won the uneven bars and vault.
Lilly Fenicle of Roosevelt won the floor exercise.
More: Arrows host Aberdeen Central and Huron in home triangular in the Civic Arena
Team Scores — O'Gorman 136.575, Sioux Falls Lincoln 130.85, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 130.65, Sioux Falls Jefferson 96.05, Sioux Falls Washington 79.675.
Balance Beam — 1. Katy Pellicotte, O'Gorman, 9.125; 2. Amayah Patterson, Washington, 8.3; 3. ElizA Dahl, Jefferson, 8.25; 4. Rose Dvoracek, O'Gorman, 8.175; 5. Kenley Madsen, Roosevelt, 8.15.
Floor Exercise —1. Lilly Fenicle, Roosevelt, 9.125; 2. Dori Clendenon, Lincoln, 9.475; 3. (Tie) Katy Pellicotte, O'Gorman, and Deja Aman, Jefferson, 9.15; 5. Teagan Lynch, O'Gorman, 9.1.
Uneven Bars —1. Teagan Lynch, O'Gorman, 8.625; 2. (Tie) Katy Pellicotte, O'Gorman, and Dori Clendenon, Lincoln, 8.325; 4. Anna Matrisciano, Roosevelt, 8.0; 5. Rose Dvoracek, O'Gorman, 7.9.
Vault — 1. Teagan Lynch, O'Gorman, 9.075; 2. Rose Dvoracek, O'Gorman, 8.925; 3. Anna Leuning, Lincoln, 8.75; 4. Kenley Madsen, Roosevelt, 8.725; 5. Deja Aman, Jefferson, 8.7.
All-Around — 1. Katy Pellicotte, O'Gorman, 35.25; 2. Teagan Lynch, O'Gorman, 34.65; 3. Dori Clendenon, Lincoln, 33.925; 4. Rose Dvoracek, O'Gorman, 33.8; 5. Lilly Fenicle, Roosevelt, 33.525.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
