April 26, 2008 09:23 pm
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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.
“Leah and Rachel and Bria are already deciding what we need to do to prepare for next week,” Marshall said. “They are so excited.”
Laci Jarrell and Miranda Fletcher also competed for the Lady Packers on Saturday.
May was coming off a performance at the USA Gymnastics Regionals in which she named to the Level 10 Junior Olympic National Team.
Colquitt County finished fourth at the state gymnastics meet last year.
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