Gymnastics Girls 4A State Meet -- Sehome Wins 23Rd Title Since 1971

TACOMA - Sehome rules. So what else is new?

Led by all-around champion Bridget Finkbonner, Sehome kept its stranglehold on the state girls gymnastics championship yesterday by claiming its 23rd title since 1971.

Sehome, with 183.325 points, won its second consecutive Class 4A title since separate 4A and 3A meets were begun two years ago.

Spokane's Ferris (178.45) was second, Federal Way (175.45) placed third and Auburn (173.225) fourth at the Tacoma Dome exhibition hall. Inglemoor's Courtney Amonson took third in the all-around with a score of 38.0.

Federal Way's Bev McIrvin, leading her team to state for the first time in her 22-year coaching career, was named 4A coach of the year.

Four Federal Way gymnasts placed in the all-around top 20: Kimi Rumel (10th), Jessica Herman (11th), Lindsey Hultman (15th) and Alaina David (19th).

"I knew this team had the potential to come this far, I just wasn't sure the girls had the desire," McIrvin said.

"The girls made the decision. They were hanging around the vault during our second meet and the light seemed to come on: 'Hey, we can do this.'

"We had a great meet at district, but we still upped our score by five points today."

Auburn placed two girls in the top 10 of all-around, the only school to do so. Freshman Adrianne Mertens was fourth (37.525) and Michelle Howitz ninth (36.075). Mertens qualified third in the beam for today's individual-event finals with a score of 9.475.

"That's like my best in beam ever," the diminutive freshman said. "My club coach gave me the routine two weeks ago. I've been doing it a lot in practice to be ready for today."

Amonsen's Inglemoor team, ranked second in the state most of the season, was eliminated in districts a week ago by Sehome. Competing as an individual, Amonsen qualified third in the floor, bars and vault, and fifth in the beam for today's individual finals.

YESTERDAY'S FINALS

Team scores - 1, Sehome, 183.325; 2, Ferris, 178.45; 3, Federal Way, 175.45; 4, Auburn, 173.225.

All-around - 1, Bridget Finkbonner, Sehome, 38.45; 2, Gail Larsen, Ferris, 38.125; 3, Courtney Amonsen, Inglemoor, 38.0; 4, Adrianne Mertens, Auburn, 37.525; 5, Karissa Moreland, Hudson's Bay, 37.45; 6, Lyndsie Palady, Kentwood, 37.225; 7, Jennifer Palmore, Columbia River, 37.125; 8, Emily Roberts, Central Valley, 36.25; 9, Michelle Howitz, Auburn, 36.075; 10, Kimi Rumel, Federal Way, 36.025; 11, Jessica Herman, Federal Way, 35.775; 12, Jana Chiabai, Sehome, 35.675; 13, Kimberly George, Ferris, 35.625; 14, Maggie Heintz, Sehome, 35.6; 15, Lindsey Hultman, Federal Way, 35.2; 16, Beth Applebury, Kentwood, 34.975; 17, Ivy Plewman, Ferris, 34.5; 18, Filicity Ferderick, Ferris, 34.3; 19, Alaina David, Federal Way, 34.125; 20, Ally Morace, Auburn, 33.825.

INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS

Top 10 qualify for today's finals at 12:30 p.m.

Vault - 1, Howitz, 9.675; 2, Ceccacci, Columbia River, 9.525; 3, Amonsen, Inglemoor, 9.475; 4 (tie), Finkbonner, Larson, Palady, 9.4; 7 (tie), Morland, Roberts, 9.25; 9 (tie), Mertens, Amber Baines (North Central), Tina Faulkner (Sehome), 9.15.

Bars - 1 (tie), Finkbonner, Larsen, 9.6; 3, Amonsen, 9.525; 4 (tie) Moreland, Palmore, 9.45; 6, Melissa Guenser, Sehome, 9.275; 7, Julie Bagby, Woodinville, 9.225; 8 (tie), Mertens, Cari Loomis (Sumner), 9.125; 10, Baines, 9.1.

Beam - 1, Finkbonner, 9.575; 2, Larsen, 9.55; 3, Mertens, 9.475; 4, Heintz, 9.4; 5, Amonsen, 9.2; 6, Bekah Robitaille, 9.175; 7, Palmore, 9.15; 8, Palady, 9.125; 9, Ferderick, 9.0; 10, Mindy Chism, Inglemoor, 8.95.

Floor - 1 (tie), Finkbonner, Moreland, 9.875; 3, Amonsen, 9.8; 4, Mertens, 9.775; 5, Stephanie Twining (Sehome), 9.675; 6, Palady, 9.65; 7 (tie), Palmore, Andrea Vitalich (Sehome), 9.6; 9 (tie), Larsen, Howitz, 9.575.