AURORA | The Overland co-op gymnastics team has made a habit of making its best performances at the Class 5A state meet and coach Lisa Sparrow’s team will try to make it happen again in the two-day meeting starting Friday at Thornton High School.
The Trailblazers — a mix of gymnasts from several schools around Aurora and a few from the surrounding area — have won four of the past six 5A state championships and captured last season’s crown in a tight race that saw them post a team score of 184.97 points to just outdistance Broomfield (184.5) and Mountain Range (184.4).
The team portion of the 5A state meet is set to begin at 3:05 p.m. Friday, while the individual event finals — which include the top 16 scorers in each of the four events during the team competition — are slated for 4 p.m. Saturday.
Overland finished second behind Pomona at the 5A/4A Region 1 meet Oct. 31 and will be challenged at state by a group that includes the Panthers, Region 2 champion Broomfield and Cherry Creek (the Region 3 champion who came in ahead of the Trailblazers at the Centennial/Continental League Championships).
The Trailblazers are scheduled on the balance beam for their first rotation of the team competition, followed by the uneven bars (Rotation II), floor exercise (Rotation III) and vault (Rotation IV). On each event, Overland will compete in the same rotation as Cherry Creek, Thornton and a group of individuals who are not part of a qualifying team.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
OVERLAND CLASS 5A STATE GYMNASTICS QUALIFYING TEAM
Emma Bonfante, Josie Claycamp, Sofia Fiocchi, Mackenzie French, Emily Gray, Devin Guttman, Aaliyah Jamison, Amalia McClurkin, Drew Morrisey, Alli Olson, Makayla Rusk, Heather Schneider, Emily Shelest, Amber Smith, Lauren Solano, McKenna Turbyne, Emmi VanderBergh, Madie Venegas, Bionca Westley, Natalie Wilson, Christie Yee
5A TEAM COMPETITION ROTATIONS (NOV. 6)
Rotation I: Vault — Bear Creek, Ponderosa, Broomfield, Group C; Beam — Thornton, OVERLAND, Cherry Creek, Group B; Bars — Green Mountain, Rocky Mountain, Mountain Range, Group A; Floor — Lakewood, Arvada West, Pomona, Group D
Rotation II: Vault — Lakewood, Arvada West, Pomona, Group D; Beam — Bear Creek, Ponderosa, Broomfield, Group C; Bars — Thornton, OVERLAND, Cherry Creek, Group B ; Floor — Green Mountain, Rocky Mountain, Mountain Range, Group A
Rotation III: Vault — Green Mountain, Rocky Mountain, Mountain Range, Group A; Beam — Lakewood, Arvada West, Pomona, Group D; Bars — Bear Creek, Ponderosa, Broomfield, Group C; Floor — Thornton, OVERLAND, Cherry Creek, Group B
Rotation IV: Vault — Thornton, OVERLAND, Cherry Creek, Group B; Beam — Green Mountain, Rocky Mountain, Mountain Range, Group A; Bars — Lakewood, Arvada West, Pomona, Group D; Floor — Bear Creek, Ponderosa, Broomfield, Group C
