Kamiakin completes state team gymnastics title three-peat

The Kamiakin gymnastics team has done it again ... and again ... and again.

The Braves rolled to their third consecutive Class 1A/2A/3A state team title Friday in Tacoma with a score of 180.475, more than six points ahead of runner-up Holy Names (174.225). Columbia River (164.150) took third.

“I’m so proud of the girls,” Kamiakin coach Sarah Garrett said via telephone. “They came together, and they did the things they needed to do. They were awesome.”

Kamiakin, which also won the team title in 2011, was first on bars, beam and floor, and second on vault.

Three Braves placed in the top 10 in the all-around: senior Saige Polanik, who took third with a score of 37.100 for her highest state all-around finish; freshman Abby Winstead (tied for fourth); and senior Halley Gillen (10th).

For Polanik, who took eighth in the all-around as a freshman and junior, breaking into the top three in her final state meet was a thrill.

“Ever since my freshman year, I’ve been hoping to place in the top three because I would be (on) the Wall of Fame at Kamiakin,” she said.

Though the Braves didn’t beat the score of 181.7 that paved the way for their 2014 championship, they made a giant leap from the 174.650 they scored last year.

The Braves started the meet strong on bars. Sophomore Sophia Mancinelli tied for fifth, followed by Saige Polanik (ninth), freshman Piper Polanik (11th), Gillen (13th), Winstead (15th) and junior Kelsey Dearing (17th). The top five Kamiakin gymnasts had a collective score of 44.975.

On beam, Piper Polanik (first), Winstead (second), Saige Polanik (tied for sixth), Gillen (11th) and sophomore Ryanne Rogers (tied for 12th) advanced to Saturday’s individual finals, which feature the top 16 in each event from Friday’s competition. Their score of 46.800 was the best of the afternoon in any event.

Fighting through ankle injuries that forced her to be a scratch on floor, Piper Polanik led the field on beam with a 9.600. Winstead had a 9.575. Their scores were the highest of the day in any event.

Saige Polanik led the way for the Braves on vault and floor, finishing third in both events. She scored a 9.075 on vault and 9.525 on floor.

“I’ve been having trouble with my vault, but I stuck my last one,” she said.

Winstead was fifth on vault, and Rogers sixth. Gillen tied for 16th, and Mancinelli also generated points for the Braves with her 24th-place finish.

Winstead tied for 12th on floor with a 9.3, while Rogers, Gillen and Mancinelli scored 8.8 or better.

Sophomore Samantha Harper also competed for the Braves and had her top score of the day (8.575) on floor.

“It was a nice arrangement of the whole team, and that’s what it takes,” Garrett said. “Tomorrow, they get to compete as individuals and show off who they are as individuals. Today, they did what they set out to do, and that was to win state as a team.”

Southridge freshman Makayla Hui, who won the Class 3A regional all-around title last weekend, finished 12th in the all-around in Tacoma. She will compete in Saturday’s individual finals after taking fourth on bars and tying for sixth on floor. Sophomore teammate Allison Huske advanced with her 12th-place finish on vault.

Freshman Mackinley Morgan represented the Suns in three events. She tied for 24th on beam with an 8.800.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Kamiakin completes state team gymnastics title three-peat."