THORNTON | Through video study and talking with her coaches, Christie Yee knew her floor exercise could be better the second time around at the Class 5A state gymnastics meet.
The Cherokee Trail student — who competes for the Overland co-op gymnastics team — cleaned things up for her performance in the event in Saturday’s individual event finals at Thornton High School and came home with a state championship.
Yee scored 9.750 points to win the Overland program’s second state title on the floor exercise in four season, as she joined 2013 5A winner Devin Bundas as champions in the event. Yee’s performance highlighted an evening that saw seven different Overland gymnasts — all underclassmen — perform in event finals.
“Of course I tried my best on Thursday (in the team competition) and I think I had a really good routine, but one of my skills — a pirouette — was just a little bit off,” Yee said. “I knew I needed to fix it on Saturday. I was a little nervous at first, but I really wanted to do well and I had to just trust all my head work.
“My teammates were really proud of me and said that’s the best routine they’d ever seen me do.”
All time, Yee became the third state champion in the floor exercise from an Aurora school, joining Bundas (who also won the uneven bars in 2014) in 2013 and Becky Sobus of the now-defunct Rangeview team in 1998.
A pair of freshmen — Samantha Demoss (Eaglecrest) and Annabelle Pedderson (Smoky Hill) — joined Yee on the medal podium with top-eight finishes for coach Lisa Sparrow’s Overland program, which finished as the 5A state team runner-up to Pomona two days earlier.
Demoss earned an eighth-place finish in the all-around competition and added a ninth on the balance beam and 12th on the floor routine, while Pedderson finished eighth on the vault with a score of 9.525.
Junior Mackenzie French (vault) and sophomores Natalie Wilson (uneven bars), Josie Claycamp (uneven bars) and Elena Reiffin (balance beam) also qualified for individual event finals in one event.
Wilson (Vista PEAK ) finished just one spot off the medal podium in ninth on the uneven bars.
Sophomore Delenn Steffes (Overland) qualified for the individual event finals in three events, but had to go home without competing after she sustained an injury in warm-ups.
Cherokee Trail’s Sarah Fangrow competed for Cherry Creek in the individual event finals, as did Cherokee Trail track standout Aumni Ashby.
Ashby finished 13th on the floor exercise and Fangrow grabbed 15th on the uneven bars.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2016 CLASS 5A STATE GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL EVENT FINALS RESULTS
Nov. 5 at Thornton High School
VAULT: 1. Kelsey Boychuk (Pomona), 9.850 points; 2. Mackenzie Doerr (Cherry Creek), 9.825; 3. Brooke Weins (Pomona), 9.775 (9.788); 4. Amber Boll (Lakewood), 9.775 (9.775); 5. Katherine Compton (Ponderosa), 9.700; 6. Morgan Walters (Chatfield), 9.675; 7. Avery Paxton (Cherry Creek), 9.550; 8. ANNABELLE PEDDERSON (OVERLAND), 9.525 (9.538); Other Overland result: 14. Mackenzie French, 9.400
UNEVEN BARS: 1. Amber Boll (Lakewood), 9.825 points; 2. Morgan Walters (Chatfield), 9.800; 3. Brooke Weins (Pomona), 9.775; 4. Abby Holbrook (Broomfield), 9.675; 5. Kelsey Boychuk (Pomona), 9.650; 6. Kaylie Berens (Pomona), 9.375; 7. Kiki Neff (Lakewood), 9.300; 8. Demi Raines (Thornton), 9.275; Overland results: 9. Natalie Wilson, 9.1500; 12. Josie Claycamp, 8.575; Other Aurora results: 15. Sarah Fangrow (Cherry Creek), 8.375
FLOOR: 1. CHRISTIE YEE (OVERLAND), 9.750 points; 2. Brooke Weins (Pomona), 9.675; 3. Avery Paxton (Cherry Creek), 9.650; 4. Katherine Compton (Ponderosa), 9.575; 5. Abbi Edgerly (Broomfield), 9.450; 6. Shaye Mathias (Arvada West), 9.400; 7. Brekyn Haddick (Thornton), 9.350; 8. Natalie Prestwich (Mountain Range), 9.250; Other Overland results: 12. Samantha Demoss, 8.775; Other Aurora results: 13. Aumni Ashby, 8.750
BALANCE BEAM: 1. Brooke Weins (Pomona), 9.675 points; 2. Amber Boll (Lakewood), 9.600; 3. Abby Holbrook (Broomfield), 9.525 (9.525); 4. Julia Kendl (Bear Creek), 9.525 (9.500); 5. Abby Crosier (Mountain Range), 9.475 (9.500); 6. Katherine Compton (Ponderosa), 9.475 (9.488); 7. Midori Coyle (Arvada West), 9.475 (9.463); 8. Annabel Spence (Pomona), 9.450; Overland results: 9. Samantha Demoss (Overland), 9.4; 12. Elena Reiffin, 9.350
