Lind, Blue Jays blow away field

• Floor Routine

Erin Hillerud performs her floor routine during the February Invite on Thursday. (John M. Steiner/The Sun)

Talk about it

What a tune-up for the JHS gymnastics team.

Alex Lind set a new team all around record with a monster 38-flat as the Blue Jays racked up a season-high 144.58 to blow away the 6-team field composed of East Region teams.

Coach Dave Tews wasn’t sure if the score was a team record, but if it wasn’t, it was close.

“That score would put us up with Minot,” Tews said of the state’s No. 2 team behind only Dickinson. “You look at it and, well, was that some home cooking? I don’t think that was necessarily the case. We just had a really good performance.”

Lind swept the meet. The all-state junior did not have a score under 9.3. She went as high as 9.75 on a sparkling floor routine.

“She was really good tonight,” Tews said. “When you get into that 38-range, that’s pretty impressive.”

The Blue Jays had the top four all around scores and eight over 31.650.

Mercedes Westereng’s solid 35.950 included runner-up finishes on floor and vault.

“It’s the first time all year she didn’t score in all four events and she still had a darn-good (all around) score,” Tews said.

Erin Hillerud, an eighth-grader, set a new personal best of 35.250. Carly Nelson (34.675) was fourth and Ashley Kronebusch was also over the 34-point mark.

“There were a lot of nice scores in there from a lot of different girls,” Tews said.

Jenna Stilwell’s 9.15 on vault was good for third. Tews also pointed out Jayden Diemert’s 8.4 on bars, which was fifth, and Kaiann Arellano’s 8.4 on beam.

In all, the Blue Jays had 11 scores in the 9s and went 36.9 on vault, 35.150 on bars, 35.475 on beam and 37.325 on floor.

Runner-up Fargo Davies finished almost 11 points behind in second with 133.725.

Next up is the West Region meet. It starts at 5 p.m. at the high school Feb. 17.

“It should be interesting. We’ve said this a few times now, but we’d love to mail this score in (next week). We know we have it in us, so we’ll see what happens,” Tews said. “It should be interesting.”

February Invite

Team results

1, Jamestown 144.580; 2, Fargo Davies 133.725; 3, Wahpeton 133.050; 4, Valley City 132.625; 5, Grand Forks 127.400; 6, Fargo 128.5.

Individual results

Top 6 and JHS results

Vault

1, Alex Lind, JHS, 9.4; 2, Mercedes Westereng, JHS, 9.2; 3T, Jenna Stilwell, JHS, 9.15; 3T, Erin Hillerud, JHS, 9.15; 3T, Ashley Kronebusch, JHS, 9.15; 6, Leigh Bauer, Davies, 9.1.

Other JHS results

7T, Carly Nelson, 9.05; 12T, Kaiann Arellano, 8.8; 20T, Abbie Conlon, 8.5.

Bars

1, Lind, JHS, 9.55; 2, Natasha Ussleman, Fargo, 9.1; 3, Westereng, JHS, 8.875; 4, Ally Hall, Davies, 8.7; 5, Jayden Diemert, JHS, 8.4; 6T, Ashley Weiland, GF, 8.35; 6T, Molly Wilson, VC, 8.35; 6T, Madison Uglem, Fargo, 8.325.

Other JHS results

8T, Hillerud, 8.325; 11, Conlon, 8.25; 12T, Ashley Kronebusch, 8.225; 14T, Stilwell, 8.175; 19, Alison Allmer, 7.95; 23T, Nelson, 7.6; 23T, Arellano, 7.6.

Beam

1, Lind, 9.3; 2, Kiara Bock, Davies, 9.275; 3, Wilson, VC, 9.0; 4, Nelson, JHS, 8.9; 5, Hillerud, JHS, 8.875; 6, Mikki Braun, Wahpeton, 8.475.

Other JHS results

7, Arellano, 8.4; 9, Westereng, 8.325; 10, Abbie Conlon, 8.2; 11, Madison Mandan, 8.05; 15, Kronebusch, 7.925; 18T, Stilwell, 7.775; 18T, Diemert, 7.775.

Floor

1, Lind, JHS, 9.75; 2, Westereng, 9.55; 3, Kiara Bock, Davies, 9.175; 4, Nelson, JHS, 9.125; 5, Braun, Wahpeton, 9.1; 6, Hillerud, 8.9.

Other JHS results

8T, Kronebusch, 8.8; 14T, Mandan, 8.5.

All around

1, Lind, JHS, 38.0; 2, Westereng, JHS, 35.950; 3, Hillerud, JHS, 35.250; 4, Nelson, JHS, 34.675; 5, Braun, Wahpeton, 34.650; 6, Ally Hall, Davies, 34.3.

Other JHS results

8, Kronebusch, 34.1; 12, Conlon, 32.650; 15, Diemert, 32.275; 20, Mandan, 31.650.

Sun sports editor Dave Selvig can be reached at (701) 952-8460 or by e-mail at daves@jamestownsun.com

Tags: gymnastics, sports, jays