MILTON — The Middlebury Union High School gymnastics team split a pair of recent meets, including a road win that was the Tigers’ first of the winter on Tuesday, when they faced a comparable Division II program for the first time.
On Tuesday, the Tigers edged host Milton, 97.55-94.2, while on Saturday visiting St. Johnsbury edged them, 108.3-101.5.
But Tiger coach Terri Phelps said she was just as happy with her team’s performance vs. the Hilltoppers at home as she was vs. the Yellowjackets on the road.
“Saturday’s team score was our highest of the season, and almost everyone posted personal bests on one or more events,” said Phelps, a former program head who returned to lead the team this season.
Given that there are no divisions in Vermont gymnastics and the Tigers will ultimately compete against year-round club gymnasts in the state meet, the team’s coaches have always emphasized improvement and love of the sport.
Phelps is most excited that those goals are being met.
“At mid-season, the kids now have the strength to perform new skills they’ve been working on all season, especially on bars and floor,” she said.
As for the other primary goal?
“The team is very supportive of each other, as well as of the other teams we compete against,” Phelps said. “We’ve been having fun since day one.”
ST. J, 108.3-101.5
On Saturday, the visiting Hilltoppers’ Mariah Adam won four of five first places to lead her team to the seven-point win. Junior Lindsay Wells won on the beam and took three third-place finishes and a fourth to lead MUHS, while Hannah Stoll picked up second-, third- and fourth-place finishes.
In the vault, Adam won with 8.25 points, and Wells and Stoll tied for third at 7.75.
On the bars, Adam won with an 8.2, Wells was third at 4.6, and Tigers Anneke Jewett and Stoll tied for fourth at 4.0.
On the beam, Wells won with a 7.75, and teammate Kayla Evans was third at 7.55.
On the floor, Adam won with a 7.8, Stoll took second at 7.3, and Wells was fourth at 7.2.
In the all-around, Adam won with 31.55 points, Wells’ total of 27.3 was good for third, and her Tiger teammate Gabrielle Ingenthron took fourth at 22.9.
The Tigers boys also performed although their scores didn’t count toward the team totals. Talon Drown scored 8.6 on the vault, 8.0 on the beam, and 8.8 on the floor. Morgan Ingenthron tallied 8.45 on the vault and 6.8 on the floor, and Addison Bolton scored 7.55 on the vault.
TIGERS, 97.55-94.2
On Tuesday, non-scoring independent Hailey Dubuque won the beam, the floor, the vault and the all-around crown, and Milton’s Kisha Godin prevailed on the bars.
But the Tigers’ depth allowed them to prevail despite being shut out of the top four in the floor exercise. Wells was second on the bars and in the all-around, making her first for scoring purposes in those events, and also finished fourth in the vault and on the beam. Jewett picked up two thirds and a fourth, Ingenthron earned a third and a fourth, and Stoll took a third.
The Tigers results were:
On the vault, Jewett was third with 7.7, and Wells tied for fourth with 7.5.
On the bars, Wells was second with 5.4, Ingenthron was third (4.3), and Jewett was fourth (4.1).
On the beam, Jewett took third (7.2), and Wells was fourth (6.5).
In the all-around, Wells was second (26.0), Stoll was third (23.55), and Ingenthron was fourth (21.35).
For the boys, Drown performed in two events, scoring an 8.75 on the vault and an 8.5 on the floor.
Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected].