Berlin takes 3rd, Olentangy eighth at state gymnastics meet
Saturday, March 2, 2024
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
Olentangy Berlin’s Alexandra Downing competes on the uneven bars during the OHSAA team gymnastics meet at Hilliard Bradley Mar. 2. Photo: Lorrie Gardner
Having Olentangy Berlin challenge for the championship before coming up just short at last year’s state gymnastics meet showed how much of a factor central Ohio can be against top prep competition.
The two programs which represented the area at this year’s event both left Saturday’s competition at Hilliard Bradley believing they’d represented the area well again.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights scored 147.875 to win its 21st consecutive state championship, but Rocky River Magnificat fell just short with a 147.825 and Berlin scored a respectable 145.55 to finish third in what was its fifth consecutive state appearance.
The other area program, Olentangy, turned in an eighth-place finish (140.45) while competing at state for the first time since 2019.
“We did really well today,” Berlin junior Tia Estrada said. “It was really nice to see everyone come together and cheer each other on and try our best.”
Sophomore Tayten Swain won the all-district competition at the district meet Feb. 24 at Worthington Kilbourne, guiding Berlin to a fourth consecutive team championship.
At state, Swain recorded a 9.65 on vault for her best score.
Olentangy’s Paige Chen performs her balance beam routine during the OHSAA team gymnastics competition at Hilliard Bradley Mar. 2. Photo: Lorrie Gardner
“It was not my best (day overall), but it went all right,” Swain said. “I had two good events and two OK events today.”
Swain, Estrada and senior Alexandra Downing each will compete at the state individual meet Sunday at Bradley for the Bears. All three are competing all-around after Estrada was fifth and Downing sixth at district.
Estrada will enter her final prep meet of this winter coming off a 9.37 on vault that represents her season best.
The Bears’ other seniors were Isabella Borgstrom, Kylie Hedrick and Cassie Perdue.
“It was a really fun experience,” Estrada said. “We were mainly focused on coming together as a team and doing the best we can.”
Olentangy, which scored 143.275 to edge Dublin Jerome (142.6) for a district runner-up finish and the other state team berth, will have four representatives at the state individual meet.
The score the Braves produced during the team meet Saturday was better than the one they scored when they finished seventh in 2019 during their last state team appearance.
Olentangy Berlin’s Tayten Swain on the balance beam during the OHSAA team gymnastics competition at Hilliard Bradley Mar. 2. Photo: Lorrie Gardner
“They did great,” said coach Misty Lloyd-Matthews, who also coaches DeSales and Big Walnut and will have one individual from DeSales in addition to the Olentangy competitors at the state individual meet. “It was the first time here for all of them. We were excited we were able to do vault better than we did at districts, so that was a good thing. We were fighting hard on that one. The pressure of state is always going to be hard. We have quite a few younger freshmen, and they did well. We always talk about how you’re going to have mistakes, and it’s how you move on from them, and I think they did that well, kept fighting through it and did some different things better.”
Braves junior Aubree Norbuta turned in a 9.15 on bars.
“It went pretty well,” Norbuta said. “We had a rough start on beam, but we really picked it back up, especially on vault and bars. I was here last year individually, but it’s a lot better to be here with your team. We had a really rough warmup out here (on vault), and we went out and felt like we hit it. Our bars was pretty good overall.”
Also for the Braves, freshman Audrey Sprouse scored 9.15 on floor and 8.95 on bars.
The only senior on the roster was Kaitlynn Prindle.
“I had a really good floor and bars today,” Sprouse said. “It’s been a really good experience. We’ve done really well, which has made it more fun. It’s more calm and relaxed compared to club. I’ve had a great time.”
Olentangy Berlin’s Tiana Estrada competes in the vault during the OHSAA team gymnastics competition at Hilliard Bradley Mar. 2. Photo: Lorrie Gardner