Chronicle-Tribune

 

INDIANAPOLIS — Grant County gymnastics Brittany Pond and Emily Guarneri had top 25 finishes Saturday at the IHSAA state meet — and Guarneri came within .75 points of medaling in vaulting.

Pond, representing Oak Hill, finished 23rd all-around with 37.7 points. She had placed 14th in last year’s meet with 36.8 points.

Marion’s Guarneri placed 25th all-around with 33.4 points. The junior had tied for the seventh-best score in vaulting with 9.5 points but was awarded 10th after tiebreakers.

The top six finishers in each event and all-around received medals. Hagertown’s Caitlyn Catania took sixth in vaulting with 9.75 points.

Guarneri had two falls while performing on the uneven bars and on the dismount resulting in a 2.3-point deduction on her score. The bars were her lowest scoring event with 7.0 points.

In her other events, Guarneri scored 8.3 on the balance beam and 8.5 in floor exercise.

Pond’s best event also was vaulting where she scored 9.325 points and finished in a 24th place tie. The sophomore scored 8.6 on the uneven bars, 8.525 in floor exercise and 8.250 on the bars.

Valparaiso’s Kellie Kidd repeated as state all-around champion with 38.850 and led her team to the team championship.

Marion coach Tammy Luckey was pleased Guarneri improved on her vault finish Saturday. Last year, Guarneri was 14th but scored a fraction higher on the vault at 9.550 points.

“Obviously, it wasn’t her best performance,” Luckey said. “Regional was her best performance. But she got to compete in all-around this year and still has another year. Overall, she did very well.”