The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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HOR-NET POW-ER!
Gymnasts down Edsel Ford
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 25, 2007
The Saline gymnastics team is getting back to its winning ways.
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After an early season stretch, coach Paul VanSlambrouck termed "bobbly," the Hornets flashed some of the form they showed in rolling to a perfect dual-meet record in 2006 by winning Saturday's Adrian Invitational and defending their home gym with a 129.975-126.825 victory over Dearborn Edsel Ford Monday.
VanSlambrouck said his squad has been "solid as a team" from the season's start, but is now also starting to get more consistent on a gymnast-by-gymnast basis.
"They're all getting cleaner, working more difficulty into their routines," he said after the Edsel Ford win. "Across the board, we're seeing more consistency. That's what's really exciting."
At Adrian, the Hornets finished first in an eight-team field, a whopping 10 points ahead of their closest competitor.
Saline got contributions from a number of Hornets. The highest finish in any single event belonged to Britney Holloway, whose score of 8.2 on the balance beam was the meet's second highest. Karen Thompson recorded a team-high score of 8.35 on the vault, which was good for sixth place. Brooke Pleger finished ninth in vault, seventh in the uneven bars, fourth in the beam and seventh in the floor exercise to claim fifth place in the all-around standings with a score of 32.175.
Two spots ahead in the all-around standings was Pleger's teammate Paige Cederna, who took eighth in the vault, sixth in bars, third in beam and a team-best third in the floor exercise for a score of 32.8, which was good for third.
Rachel Cole in vault and floor and Kara Williams in vault, bars and floor also took spots in the team's top four slots to help the Saline cause.
Edsel Ford presented a stiffer challenge than the competition in Adrian, however. Thompson (8.45), Cole (8.2), Kristy Richart (8.2) and Pleger (8.15) scored in vault, whuke Williams (7.25), Pleger (7.6), Cederna (8.225) and Thompson (7.85) scored on the uneven bars, but Edsel Ford led 65.125-63.925 after those first two events.
Unfortunately for the visitors, their balance deserted them on the beam and a number of falls opened the door for Saline. The Hornets took advantage with Moriah Grooms (7.75), Cederna (8.5), Thompson (8.05) and Pleger (8.375) filling the team's four scoring spots. Performances on the floor from Thompson (7.825), Williams (8.1), Pleger (8.575) and Cederna (8.875) sealed the win for the Hornets.
Cederna, Pleger and Thompson finished 1-2-3 in the all-around standings while Williams tied for fourth.
"They knew they had to pick it up," VanSlambrouck said of his team's second-half comeback. "We showed up on beam and really showed up on the floor. It was a closer meet than it ended up being."
With the team's greater consistency and cleaner routines, VanSlambrouck says the Hornets will start work on adding more elements to their routines in preparation for the big season-ending meets.
"They're confident in what they're doing now … they're confident in themselves and in the team as a whole. They know that no matter what happens, as long as they do their best, everyone's going to be supportive," he said. "Now we're going to put in some more difficult things. Hopefully we'll peak when it counts."
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