Published: March 1, 2016
Boss’ score holds up, advances to state
Suns’ junior, plus 4 from county qualify
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News
MANITOWOC — Maddy Boss had so much adrenaline for her first
tumbling pass on floor exercise at Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 sectional meet at
Lincoln High School, when she hit the ground with two feet her momentum nearly
forced her to run off the floor in order to collect herself.
“I had a lot of power going into it,” the East junior said.
“I didn’t fall, but it was probably a three-tenth deduction.”
She thought that was going to haunt her. Boss got an 8.775
on the event.
“I had a gross feeling that it was going to haunt her and be
the reason she’s not going to make it,” East coach Haley Ransom said. “I knew
she scored well. It was a good routine.”
But would it hold?
“I knew a lot of people could score 9s for our sectional so
I kind of blew it off,” Boss said. “I didn’t think a lot of it.”
It held up.
Boss qualified for the WIAA state gymnastics meet with a
fifth-place finish on floor during Saturday’s sectional. She is one of five
gymnasts from the area to qualify, including teammate Zoey Roberts, who scored
a 9.15 on balance beam to win the sectional.
West Bend West’s Jenna Heimark and Jessica Butters were
fourth and fifth, respectively, in the all-around to qualify for state and
teammate Alexis Johnson tied for fourth on beam with a 9.075 to also qualify
for state.
For Johnson, it was her first 9.
“I never expected to make it to state,” she said. “I’m here
for the team, hoping we would go as a team.”
West fell short of qualifying for the state meet for the
third time in four years, taking third place with a season-high score of
136.125. The top two teams qualify for state.
Manitowoc Lincoln scored a 139.925 — a school record — to
win the sectional and Grafton/Cedarburg was second with a 136.75. East was
fourth with a 132.575 and Hartford was seventh (102.575).
“We did not do what we needed to do on floor,” West coach
Jackie Vorpahl said. “We had three girls miss some connections, two-tenths,
two-tenths, two-tenths equals six. That would’ve been second place.
“That makes it kind of rough knowing they had the ability.”
Still shocked by hearing her name called as a state
qualifier, Boss teared up as she tried to describe that moment.
“I’m so happy,” Boss said with her eyes quickly turning red
and tears rolling out of her eyes. “I had no idea ... that I qualified.
“When they called my name I was so surprised.”
Boss was the fourth gymnast to compete on floor in the
competition. There were 35 others after her, but only four posted a better
score. The top five in each event qualify for state.
The first time she was informed of where her floor scored
ranked, she was in second place heading into the sixth of eight rounds. That’s
when Manitowoc Lincoln took to the floor and it sizzled. Freshman Brynn Tackett
posted a 9.325 and Alyssa DeZeeuw got a 9.25.
“Then I was like, ‘Oh, if only I had done this on floor or
done this to be better,’” Boss said.
Only one score out of the final two rounds bested Boss’ —
Sheboygan North/South’s Peta Silva with a 9.0.
Boss’ teammates were thrilled for her.
“I’m so excited,” Roberts said. “I can’t wait to be able to
ride up there with her and experience state with Maddy because she’s my best
friend.”
Ransom was equally thrilled.
“I burst into tears,” she said. “I was so happy for her.
That girl works the hardest in the gym. She completely deserves it. We’re
super-excited for her.”
Getting to state on floor wasn’t an unlikely scenario for
Boss. After all, she scored a 9.025 on Feb. 2. But she thought the steps after
her landing on her first tumbling pass were going to keep her out of state,
especially in a meet where tenths or hundredths of points matter.
Manitowoc Lincoln’s Breanna Reinhart was sixth on floor with
an 8.75, a difference of 0.025, and Oshkosh co-op’s Gabby Tagliapietra was
seventh with an 8.675, a difference of 0.1.
For Roberts, a sectional championship is the cap of a season
that started with a bang two months ago. In the season’s first competition, she
broke the school record on balance beam with a 9.25. Since then, the score has
fluctuated for Roberts on the event, which she qualified for state on last
season.
Roberts finished fifth at the Wisconsin Little Ten
Conference championship Feb. 20 with an 8.475.
“It’s awesome,” Roberts said of winning the sectional. “I’m
not saying I wasn’t expecting it, but the pressure was definitely there, having
made it last year. So I wanted to perform well. And performing well enough to
win sectionals is icing on the cake.”
The Suns also broke a school record on beam with a 34.925.
It is the first time West will have two gymnasts compete in
the all-around at state for the third time in four years.
“Jess Butters was the one that surprised me,” Vorpahl said.
“I was like, ‘Really? That’s awesome.’ She had a good day. It’s really kind of
a plus to have two all-arounds going.”
For Heimark, it was a relief to qualify for state. She
didn’t place in the top five in any event. On beam, she listened to Johnson’s
name get called as having the fifth-place score with a 9.075. Heimark’s beam
score was 9.05.
“I didn’t know if it was enough to make it,” Heimark said,
adding it was hard to sit and wait to see if she qualified for state in
something.
“It was a big relief,” she said.
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