The Overland co-op gymnastics team claimed the title of one of the three Class 5A regionals Oct. 26 as the Trailblazers triumphed over several visiting teams to qualify as a team for the state meet.
Overland posted a team score of 178.250 points to earn the first team spot in the Nov. 2-4 5A state meet at Thornton High School, which will also include runner-up Ponderosa.
Coach Lisa Sparrow’s Trailblazers were led by the performances of sophomore Ainsley Renner and senior Kyla Burke, who were second and third-respectively in the all-around standings. Renner finished second in all four events (vault, balance beam, uneven bars and floor exercise) for a score of 37.550 points, while Burke finished at 36.550.
Burke finished fifth in the all-around competition last season and qualified for the individual event finals on the uneven bars and floor exercise. Renner will compete in the all-around for the first time after she missed most of 2022 due to injury and returned just in time to compete on the balance beam, on which she made the individual event final.
Also back are junior Ryann Walline — who placed seventh on the floor exercise — and senior Maya Richman placed eighth on the balance beam as a sophomore in 2021 before she missed last season due to injury.
The Trailblazers tied for fourth place in the team standings last season.
Overland is one of 10 teams — plus several individual qualifiers — set to compete at 3:10 p.m. Nov. 2 in which team championship and runner-up and all-around placers will be determined.
The Trailblazers (who share a rotation with Cherry Creek and a set of individuals) will open on the balance beam and progress to the uneven bars, while they will head to the vault after a 20-minute break in the middle of the meet and conclude their rotation on the floor exercise.
The top 15 scorers on each of the four events move into the individual event finals, which begin at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 4 with awards to follow.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2023 CLASS 5A STATE GYMNASTICS MEET
At Thornton High School
Schedule: Nov. 2 — Class 5A team/all-around competition, 3:10 p.m.; Nov. 4 — Class 5A/4A individual event finals, 1:30 p.m. (awards to follow)
Class 5A team qualifiers: Arvada West, Broomfield, Chatfield, Cherry Creek, Heritage, Mountain Range, OVERLAND, Pomona, Ponderosa, Poudre School District