Martin Co. Area gymnasts squeeze by B.E. Area in opener
BLUE EARTH — Eight-tenths of a point.
The Martin County Area Magic captured their season-opening gymnastics meet by that razor-thing margin by squeezing out a 123.325-122.525 victory over the Blue Earth Area Bucs during a Big South Conference dual meet on Thursday night in Blue Earth.
Abi Chavez and Lillie Oudekerk-Schultz produced a respective 2-4 showing in the all-around competition to pace the youthful Magic lineup to the narrow team decision.
Chavez captured runner-up honors with a total of 30.725 points, while Oudekerk-Schultz made her varsity debut with a fourth-place mark of 30.425.
Mollie Leiding generated MCA’s only individual win by pocketing first place on the balance beam with an 8.425-scored routine, while Ava Thate and Chavez contributed a pair of top-five performances.
Thate finished third with a 7.225, while Chavez supplied a fourth-place effort of 7.025 for MCA.
Chavez also collected a pair of second-place showings by claiming runner-up accolades on the floor exercise with an 8.15, while sharing the No. 2 spot on the uneven parallel bars with teammate Jadyn Montgomery with a pair of 7.25s.
Oudekerk-Schultz added point production by vaulting off the table to a second-place 8.55 to top the Magic on the event, while collecting third place on the floor with a 7.95 effort. The seventh-grade phenom also took third on the uneven bars (7.15).
Montgomery and Thate rounded out the top five on the vault for MCA by netting fourth (8.45) and fifth (8.3), respectively, while Thate claimed third on the beam (7.225) and fifth on the unevens (7.0).
Leiding earned a share of a three-way tie for fourth on the floor with a 7.9.
Addison Armstrong garnered two individual wins on the vault (9.025) and floor exercise (9.15) to pace her first-place showing in the all-around (32.7) for Blue Earth Area.
Armstrong also captured second on the balance beam (7.425) and fourth on the uneven bars (7.1).
The Bucs’ Adrianna Reddick, who placed third in the all-around with a 30.7, took top honors on the unevens with a 7.35-scored routine.
Reddick also netted third on the vault (8.5), tied for fourth on the floor (7.9) and finished fifth on the balance beam (6.95).
Martin County Area (1-0) plays host to Worthington on Tuesday in another Big South Conference dual meet at Live Fit Sport & Wellness Center in Fairmont.
Blue Earth Area (0-1) plays host to St. Peter on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in another league dual meet.