MOULTRIE — The top six teams at Saturday’s area gymnastics meet qualify to compete in next week’s state meet and Colquitt County Coach Donna Marshall was just hoping her team would perform well enough to be one of those six.

The Lady Packers did perform well enough and even much better than their coach anticipated.

Despite two rare falls on beam, the Lady Packers still scored a 109.65 to finish first in the qualifier, held at The Lovett School in Atlanta.

Newnan was second with a 108.25 and was followed by Lassiter, 107.65; Milton, 107.1; Walton; and Roswell, 105.0.

The state meet, which Colquitt County won two years ago, will be held at The Westminster School in Atlanta on Friday.

“I did not anticipate us being a contender,” said Marshall, whose team has been beset by injuries this season. “I just can’t believe we qualified first.

“That was the best meet of the girls careers on floor and vault.”

On vault, Leah May scored a 9.7, Kambria Blakely had a 9.5 and Rachel Dampier had a 9.25.

On floor, May scored a 9.75, Blakely a 9.65 and Dampier an 8.8.

May also was outstanding on bars, scoring a 9.3. Dampier had an 8.8 and Blakely had an 8.25.

The team’s top beam score was turned in by Dampier, who had a 9.3.

Blakely, who had an 8.7, and May, who score an 8.65, each had uncharacteristic falls on beam.

“Those are mistakes we don’t normally have,” Marshall said.

Despite her fall, May still scored a 37.4 all around.

Dampier’s all around was 36.15. Blakely had a 36.1.