A trio of gymnasts from Class 5A state third-place finisher Overland make up the 2012 Aurora Sentinel All-City Gymnastics Team.
Junior Ashlynn Graybill, sophomore Kellyn Toole and freshman Kate Johnson were each key performers for coach Lisa Sparrow’s Trailblazers — a co-op team made up of gymnasts from schools all across Aurora — who finished behind runaway winner Broomfield and Fort Collins in the 5A state team chase Nov. 2 at Thornton High School.
Graybill and Toole were both members of Overland’s 2011 5A state championship winning team and concluded the 2012 season in strong fashion by qualifying for individual event finals, as did newcomer Johnson.
With the graduation of standout Megan Adams — who placed in the top five of the 5A state all-around competition four times — the Trailblazers picked up the slack with depth.
Graybill was the top all-around finisher with an 11th-place total of 37.400 points and made three individual event finals.
While she didn’t make it to the medal stand — which requires a top-six finish — Graybill excelled on the beam with a seventh place finish. The Cherokee Trail student won the Region 2 championship in the event prior to state.
A multi-sport athlete who attends Regis Jesuit, Toole placed in two individual event finals and had an identical all-around score to Graybill, who got a higher place by winning a tiebreaker.
Toole tied for fourth individually in the floor exercise, in which she won a regional championship, with a score of 9.650 and came in sixth on the vault with a score of 9.625.
Johnson — a club gymnast who had take some time away from gymnastics but decided to come out as a freshman when she reached Cherokee Trail — was a strong addition to the Overland team and won a regional title in the vault.
She continued to perform well in that event at state, as she captured a fourth-place medal on the vault with a score of 9.700. Johnson also qualified for the individual event finals in the balance beam (8th) and floor exercise (12th).
Notes: Overland had hoped to have four gymnasts in the individual event finals, but sophomore standout Devin Bundas never got the chance as she broke several toes while she warmed up for the balance beam on the opening day of the meet. Bundas, an Eaglecrest student, was also injured during the 2011 5A state meet when she injured her ankle warming up for the individual event finals.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2012 AURORA SENTINEL ALL-CITY GYMNASTICS TEAM
Ashlynn Graybill, Overland, jr.; Kate Johnson, Overland, fr.; Kellyn Toole, Overland, soph.
