Gymnastics: Wolves leap, flip, tumble to district berths

By Sequim Gazette Staff • February 16, 2022 1:30 am
Sequim High gymnasts (from left) Ellie Turner, Alex Schmadeke, Amara Brown, Susannah Sharp and Danica Pierson take a break from competition at the 2A/3A South Sound Conference-Olympic League sub-district meet in Puyallup on Feb. 10. Submitted photo

Using a co-op with neighboring Port Angeles to compete, Sequim High’s five gymnasts are headed to districts after a strong showing at their first 2022 postseason meet last week.

The Wolves’ quintet scored 137.5 team points — just 11 points back of third place North Kitsap, the final team seed to districts — as they vied for postseason berths at the 2A/3A South Sound Conference-Olympic League sub-district meet in Puyallup on Feb. 10.

Qualifying athletes move on to the West Central District 3 meet in Puyallup on Feb. 16. The state meet is set for Feb. 25-25 at Sammamish High School in Bellevue.

Sequim High senior Alex Schmadeke was the top local gymnast at sub-districts, placing third in all-around scoring with 34.975 points. She placed first on beam, second on the floor exercise, third on vault and eighth on bars.

Sequim teammate Susannah Sharp, a sophomore, punched her district ticket with eighth-place finishes on the vault and floor exercise. She finished with a 30.85-point all-around score.

Though they didn’t place in the top 10 in individual events, Sequim seniors Danica Pierson and Ellie Turner and sophomore Amara Brown move on to districts by placing among the top six in all-around scoring or top 12 in individual events among athletes not advancing via team berth.

Pierson scored district berths in all four events: the vault (7.15), bars (5.2), beam (6.35) and floor (7.05), as did Turner, with strong scores on the vault (7.1), bars (5.0), beam (5.55) and floor (6.55). Brown qualified on the beam (5.65) and floor exercise (5.95).

Port Angeles freshman Jessamyn Schindler was 10th in all-around scoring (32.25 points), with her best individual event finish coming on the vault (fourth place, 8.6 points).

Also qualifying for districts were peninsula gymnasts Aubrie Scott, a Crescent senior, in all four disciplines, along with Port Angeles senior Mei-Ying Harper-Smith (all-around) and PA sophomore Kathryn Jones (bars).

Bainbridge Island took top team honors with 162.9 points, followed by North Thurston (159.625), North Kitsap and Sequim. Other competing sub-district teams includes Port Angeles, Crescent, Capital, North Thurston, Timberline and River Ridge.

More sports

Read up on Sequim High’s basketball, wrestling and swim teams in today’s B section.

The combined Sequim-Port Angeles-Crescent prep gymnastics team takes a break from competition at the 2A/3A South Sound Conference-Olympic League sub-district meet in Puyallup on Feb. 10. Pictured are (back row, from left) Jessamyn Schindler, Danica Pierson, Aubrie Scott, Ellie Turner, Kathryn Jones, Maddie Adams and Amara Brown, with (front row, from left) Mei-Ying Harper-Smith, Susannah Sharp, Yau Fu, Faith Caar and Alex Schmadeke. Submitted photo