Lillie Schultz

JACKSON — Three dual meets and a regular-season invitational during a five-day span.

Despite generating a multitude of season-best individual scores, the weary Martin County Area Magic gymnasts placed seventh during the Sweetheart Invitational on Saturday in Jackson.

“It was a tough stretch, but our girls worked hard and scored a number of personal-bests. We (coaching staff) are very pleased with their efforts,” said Magic head coach Annie Post, whose roster tallied 127.25 points during Saturday’s talent-laden invite field after netting a season-best 129.0 in Friday’s dual-meet victory over Windom Area.

Class AA No. 1-ranked New Prague won the Sweetheart Invite’s team championship by posting a 145.425, while Class A No. 3-ranked Worthington garnered runner-up accolades with a 141.5.

Luverne (134.425), Austin (133.85), host Jackson County Central (132.675) and Redwood Valley (129.825) placed third through sixth, respectively.

Lillie Schultz, who earned a season’s-best score of 33.25 to win the all-around competition in Friday’s dual at Windom, topped MCA with a 32.75 during Saturday’s Sweetheart.

The multi-tasking seventh-grader led the Magic on the vault (8.65) and balance beam (7.925), while netting the lineup’s No. 2 marks on uneven bars (7.425) and floor (8.75) on Saturday.

Abi Chavez, who posted a personal-best all-around of 31.525 on Saturday, generated a season-best 8.85 floor routine to top MCA’s point production on that piece of equipment, while turning in the team’s second-high score of 8.35 on the vault.

Ava Thate, who recorded a season-high all-around of 30.8 in Jackson, paced the Magic on the unevens with a personal-best of 7.475, while teammate Jadyn Montgomery (30.4) turned in her top overall total.

Mollie Leiding shared second with Chavez for MCA on the vault at 8.35, while placing third on the team on the beam (7.275).

Montgomery proved third for MCA on the unevens (7.3), Adrianna Leiding claimed second on the Magic’s roster on the beam with a personal-best 7.85, while Avery Steuber made her varsity debut by taking third on MCA with an 8.225 on floor. Nora Fitzgerald also had a season-best 8.125 on the floor for the Magic.

New Prague standout Ava Bruegger won the Sweetheart’s all-around crown with a total of 37.5, while Worthington’s Hali Bullerman netted runner-up honors at 36.05.

Bruegger placed first on the unevens (9.325), beam (9.1) and floor (9.55) to go with a second-place showing behind New Prague teammate Susie Dalsin’s winning vault score, 9.575-9.525, respectively.

Schultz’s winning all-around score of 33.25, Chavez’s second-place overall total of 32.175 and Mollie Leiding’s season-best 30.925 topped MCA’s 129.0-122.425 dual-meet victory over Windom Area on Friday night in Windom.

Schultz won the vault with an 8.95 and pocketed second on both the beam (8.1) and floor (9.0), while Chavez took first on the floor with a 9.025.

Montgomery and Schultz placed second (7.5) and third (7.2) on the unevens for MCA, while Chavez finished fourth (7.15).

Thate and Mollie Leiding took third (7.7) and fourth (7.55) on the beam, respectively, while Mollie Leiding added a fourth-place score of 8.475 on the floor.

Martin County Area travels to St. James on Tuesday before playing host to St. Peter at 6 p.m. Thursday at Live Fit Sport & Wellness Center in Fairmont.

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2023 Sweetheart Invite

Team Results: 1. New Prague 145.425; 2. Worthington 141.5; 3. Luverne 134.425; 4. Austin 133.85; 5. Jackson County Central 132.675; 6. Redwood Valley 129.825; 7. Martin County Area 127.25.

All-Around: 1. Ava Bruegger (NP) 37.5; 2. Hali Bullerman (WOR) 36.05; 3. Ella Reisdorfer (LUV) 35.45; 4. Cristy Banegas (WOR) 35.025; 5. Olivia Barber (WOR) 34.9; 6. Ella Barsness (NP) 34.85; 7. Avery Wilson (RV) 34.775; 8. Addison Gerber (WOR) 34.6; 9. Amira Cowell (LUV) 34.575; 10. Payten Benda (JCC) 34.275.

MCA scores: Lillie Schultz 32.75; Abi Chavez 31.525; Ava Thate 30.8; Jadyn Montgomery 30.4; Mollie Leiding 30.275.

Vault: 1. Susie Dalsin (NP) 9.575; 2. Ava Bruegger (NP) 9.525; 3. Ella Barsness (NP) 9.5; 4. Hali Bullerman (WOR) 9.4; 5. Hannah Kraft (NP) 9.4; 6. Cristy Banegas (WOR) 9.25.

MCA scores: Lillie Schultz 8.65; Abi Chavez 8.35; Mollie Leiding 8.35; Jadyn Montgomery 8.3; Ava Thate 8.15.

Uneven Bars: 1. Ava Bruegger (NP) 9.325; 2. Jadyn Klein (NP) 9.25; 3. Ava Barsness (NP) 9.15; 4. Avery Wilson (RV) 8.65; 5. Hali Bullerman (WOR) 8.6; 6. Kiki Rodriguez (AU) 8.5.

MCA scores: Ava Thate 7.475; Lillie Schultz 7.425; Jadyn Montgomery 7.3; Abi Chavez 7.125; Mollie Leiding 6.45.

Balance Beam: 1. Ava Bruegger (NP) 9.1; 2. Olivia Barber (WOR) 9.05; 3. Amira Cowell (LUV) 9.025; 4. Samantha Solheid (NP) 8.95; 5. Payten Benda (JCC) 8.875; 6. Ella Reisdorfer (LUV) 8.85.

MCA scores: Lillie Schultz 7.925; Adrianna Leiding (MCA) 7.85; Mollie Leiding 7.275; Ava Thate 7.2; Abi Chavez 7.2.

Floor Exercise: 1. Ava Bruegger (NP) 9.55; 2. Addison Gerber (WOR) 9.425; 3. Hali Bullerman (WOR) 9.3; 4. Kiki Rodriguez (AU) 9.275; 5. Olivia Barber (WOR) 9.25; 6. Ella Reisdorfer (LUV) 9.225.

MCA scores: Abi Chavez 8.85; Lillie Schultz 8.75; Avery Steuber 8.225; Mollie Leiding 8.2; Nora Fitzgerald 8.125.

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Martin Co. Area 129.0;

Windom Area 122.425

All-Around: 1. Lillie Schultz (MCA) 33.25; 2. Abi Chavez (MCA) 32.175; 3. Ada Lund (WIN) 31.4; 4. Kadyn Paulson (WIN) 31.125; 5. Mollie Leiding (MCA) 30.925.

Vault: 1. Lillie Schultz (MCA) 8.95; 2. Kadyn Paulson (WIN) 8.8; 3. Ashlyn Altman (WIN) 8.65; T4. Arianna Boldt (WIN) and Addison Colbert (WIN) 8.575s.

Other MCA scores: Ava Thate 8.525; Abi Chavez 8.5; Mollie Leiding 8.4; Jadyn Montgomery 8.275.

Uneven Bars: 1. Kadyn Paulson (WIN) 7.6; 2. Jadyn Montgomery (MCA) 7.5; 3. Lillie Schultz (MCA) 7.2; 4. Abi Chavez (MCA) 7.15.

Other MCA scores: Ava Thate 7.0; Mollie Leiding 6.5.

Balance Beam: 1. Ada Lund (WIN) 8.15; 2. Lillie Schultz (MCA) 8.1; 3. Ava Thate (MCA) 7.7; 4. Mollie Leiding (MCA) 7.55.

Other MCA scores: Abi Chavez 7.5; Adrianna Leiding 7.45.

Floor Exercise: 1. Abi Chavez (MCA) 9.025; 2. Lillie Schultz (MCA) 9.0; 3. Kadyn Paulson (WIN) 8.525; 4. Mollie Leiding (MCA) 8.475.

Other MCA scores: Nora Fitzgerald 8.425; Jadyn Montgomery 7.5.