SKY BALLET: Bartlesville gymnasts earn ticket to prestigious national competition

For local gymnasts Raynie Ketcher and Isa Highfield one final chapter remains to be written about their 2022-23 season of glory.

For Bartlesville Gymnastics Club teammates Madeyln Stuart and Lydia Pierce the final adjectives of their superlative campaigns have faded into echoes of excellence.

Ketcher and Highfield both will suit up for the Level 10 Nationals, one of the most prestigious annual gymnastics events in the world.

Ketcher, Highfield and Stuart all competed recently in the Level 10 regionals, against competition from Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico and Wyoming.

Pierce battle in the Level 9 regional.

"(Coach) Abi Matthews and I could not be more excited about these athletes," BGC Executive Director Lorrie Bertolet said. "They did a great job! The pressure was high and sometimes things don’t go according to their plan. However all of our athletes showed grit and their attitudes were top notch."

Although perfect performances remain the almost unattainable goal, it's the effort to be flaw-free that makes dedicated gymnasts a special creed of competitor.

"The joy that these athletes have even when they make mistakes is a amazing, and the growth that they all have shown this season reminds us why this sport is so great," Bertolet said. "I am looking forward to Level 10 Nationals and for the future of these gymnasts."

Following are brief summaries of how the four elite BGC performed at regionals.

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RAYNIE KETCHER (Level 10): Ketcher opened up with an E value dismount of 2-and-a-half twisting dismount to finish sixth on the beam (9.35). She followed with third place (9.375) on the floor. Her full-twisting Yurchenko on vault helped earned her fifth (9.475). But, a dismount hiccup led to 8.55 on the bars and took her out of All-Around. However, she still earned a spot for the nationals.

ISA HIGHFIELD (Level 10): Highfield started out on the bars (12th, 8.95) and moved next to the beam. Her amazing display earned her one of the highest scores and fifth place. Because of her beam result, she qualified into a special section of the nationals called the All Star Session. A fall in the floor competition kept Highfield out of the competition for All-Around. She snapped back with a 9.2 score on the vault -- one of her top showings of the season.

MADELYN STUART (Level 10): Stuart started out placing in the top 10 on the beam. She also competed solidly on the other events, but missed out on nationals' qualification. This was a bittersweet campaign ender because Stuart is moving out-of-state with her family due to a job transfer, Bertolet said, adding: "Madelyn will be missed by all of her coaches and teammates."

LYDIA PIERCE (Level 9): After a tough stint on the beam, Pierce turned in the best floor routine of her life, but unfortunately suffered a deduction for going out of bounds and dropped from first place to eighth (9.3), Bertolet said. Pierce then scored a career-best 9.6 (6th place). She also finished in the top 10 (9.025) on the bars. But, her fall on the team was just enough to keep her of the Level 9 Western Nationals, Bertolet said. "She still had a great learning experience," Bertolet added.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville Gymnastics Club athletes earn ticket to nationals