Coldwater Gymnastics competes at Plymouth Canton Invite
PLYMOUTH, MI. — The Coldwater Cardinal gymnastics team finished a busy Saturday by competing at the Plymouth Canton Invitational.
Nineteen schools were represented at the meet featuring some of the best teams from all over the state. The Cardinals sent a small squad of gymnasts to collect individual qualifying scores as they look to advance as many as possible into the postseason.
In a surprise outcome, the Rockford Rams took the top honors with 142.45 points, followed by the combined team of Livonia Churchill who finished with 141.925 points. Grand Ledge has been dominating the invites this season, but finished in third with a score of 141.275 points.
Coldwater did not field a complete team on all events, but posted an impressive 91.700 overall.
“I used this as an opportunity to rest many of our girls and give some nagging injuries a chance to heal,” said Coldwater head coach Kim Nichols. “It was the perfect timing to compete the girls who needed individual scores, since the team has already qualified for Regionals.”
It was a long day of gymnastics, but in the end Coldwater picked up eight individual qualifying scores and a medal on the uneven bars.
Coldwater began the meet on the floor exercise, one of the Cardinals strengths this season.
Kiraly Schoenauer led the Cardinals with her third Regional score of 8.325 points. The freshman started the season on the sideline due to a previous injury and now just needs one more score to secure her spot in the postseason.
Senior co-captain Katie Kimble was next in line with her third straight qualifying score of 7.825 points.
“We made some adjustments to Katie’s routine two weeks ago and the changes have made a huge difference in her scores,” noted Kim Nichols. “I have no doubt that she is going to collect her final score on the floor.”
Randi Dudek fell during her routine and scored a 7.225. The junior introduced a more difficult tumbling pass and will look to perfect it before the Regional meet.
The Cardinals picked up speed on their second event, the vault.
The gymnasts each earned qualifying scores, led once again by Schoenauer who earned her third straight qualifying mark with a personal best of 8.475 points.
Dudek was close behind for her efforts at 8.4 points, showing consistency on the event. Katie Kimble collected her second Regional score on the vault at 7.9 points and will need to pick up two more scores to join her teammates at the meet in March.
Randi Dudek found her stride on the uneven bars by posting a personal best score of 8.65. The score earned the Cardinal a place on the podium with a tenth place finish overall in Division One.
Schoenauer scored a solid 7.75 points for her routine. Kimble is competing a new superior release skill for her mount, but fell during the competition. She will continue to work hard in the gym and hopes to improve on the event.
After a very long day of competition, Coldwater was the final team on the balance beam.
Schoenauer continued with one of her best meets of the season by posting an individual qualifying score of 7.875 points. Kimble and Dudek each fell during their routines and were just shy of the mark at 7.125 and 7.1 respectively. The two Cardinals still need one more beam score in order to compete on the beam in the postseason.
In the all-around competition, Kiraly Schoenauer led the way with her second best finish of the season with 32.425 total points. She finished in eighteenth place for Division Two.
Randi Dudek posted a solid score of 31. 375 points for her four event tally and a seventeenth place finish in Division One. Kimble earned 27.85 points overall for twenty-sixth place.
Coldwater will next see action Tuesday when they host Monroe High School for a make-up meet after last week’s weather related cancellations. The league matchup will highlight five young ladies for senior night and begins at 6 p.m. in the auxiliary gymnasium.
The Cardinals will host their own invitational on Saturday for their 12th annual Stick-It-For-a-Cure competition. The gymnasts have been busy collecting donations and selling raffle tickets. The public is invited to the silent auction which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in the athletic lobby.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Coldwater Gymnastics competes at Plymouth Canton Invite
