Published: March 4, 2014
Spartans set record, headed to state meet
Hartford Union’s McCauley, Maloney also advance to state
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
MANITOWOC — Team has always come first for West Bend West’s
Sam Lemminger, never complaining about her role on the team.
On Saturday, Lemminger scored an 8.975 on the vault to
finish tied for fourth on the event during the WIAA Division 1 sectional at Manitowoc
Lincoln High School and qualify for the WIAA individual gymnastics state meet
in Wisconsin Rapids.
It will be the senior’s first trip to state as an
individual, which begins with the team competition Friday and the individual
competition Saturday.
“I didn’t really expect it. It wasn’t my goal,” she said
moments after she tried to fight off her emotions on the awards podium. “If I
hadn’t qualified, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. I’m used to going for team
success.”
The team had its share of success, too, winning the
sectional for the first time since 2009 with a school-record score of 140.45,
almost seven points ahead of Sheboygan (133.5), and advanced to state for the
second straight season.
Grafton/Cedarburg was third with a 132.25, followed by West
Bend East (128.7), Oshkosh (128.525), Hartford Union (124.925), Manitowoc
Lincoln (109.725) and Kaukauna (97.125).
What a historic day it was for the Orioles.
For the first time since 2009, Hartford will send a gymnast
to state. Better yet, it will send two: Megan Maloney (balance beam) and Halli
McCauley (uneven bars).
“I’m really excited,” Hartford coach Mary Scherr said.
West went 1-2 in the all-around as well, led by Amanda Wanie
with a 36.2. Bailey Wagner was second with a 35.9. It was only the second time
this season Wanie competed in the all-around at a meet. The first time was
during the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference championship meet Feb. 22 in West
Bend.
“After being out of it for so long I lose faith in myself,”
said Wanie, who has missed most of the season because of a leg injury after the
cross-country season. 'The desire was in me.
“But without my coaches and my teammates I literally would
not be here at all. They’ve had so much confidence in me, so much faith in me,
more faith than I have in myself. That really means a lot. I have the best
teammates and coaches I could’ve ever asked for.”
It was a day West learned right away was going to be a good
one.
On its first event, the Spartans stuck each of their five
beam routines with no falls and got a 35.25. West followed that up with a
35.875 on floor exercise and a 35.675 on vault.
“It just hyped us up for everything else,” Wanie said.
Lemminger’s 8.975 on vault Saturday was a personal best. “I
don’t think I’ve could’ve done any better,” she said.
Was it good enough for state?
“I wasn’t sure,” she said. “I hadn’t seen any of the other
scores, but I stayed confident.”
Lemminger barely made it in as the top five, plus ties, in
each event and the all-around qualify for the individual state meet. She tied
with Grafton/Cedarburg’s Maddie Gleed for fourth and finished 0.25 points ahead
of Oshkosh co-op’s Theresa Richards, who finished sixth. Who cares? Lemminger
made it and it was hard to tell who was more excited: Lemminger, her teammates
or her coach.
“I’m so excited,” Wanie said. “People like Sam who comes out
of the woodwork sometimes and steps up to be a team player; that keeps
everybody else going.”
Wagner added, “I’m almost more excited for her than I am for
myself because I knew from the beginning of the year that she had the potential
and ability to make it to state on vault. She’s finally getting what she
deserves.”
Afterward, Lemminger struggled with the idea of being an
individual state qualifier. She wondered if it was even true.
“It just ... like everything that has happened before that
... it all paid off,” Lemminger said.
“I wasn’t expecting (making to state) at all,” she added. “I
always did my best for the team. To qualify for myself is a huge bonus. It
doesn’t feel real yet. It hasn’t sunk in yet.”
So many times throughout the season when it could’ve been
easy to do so, Lemminger didn’t complain about not being on varsity full time
for her senior year.
Lemminger just answered the bell when she was called upon.
And being on a team with the last two WLT gymnasts of the year, it was hard for
her to capture the attention.
When she steps up to compete on vault at state, it’ll all be
worth it.
“I’m just thankful to have one more chance to do something
that I love,” Lemminger said.
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