Jays struggle in Bismarck

Scoring was tough Friday night at the Julie Ziegler meet in Bismarck.

Combine that with an off night for the Blue Jays and scores were down across the board.

“Scoring was tough and we did not have a very good meet,” said coach Dave Tews. “We were short a couple of kids because of other commitments, but with the team we had we should have performed better.”

The Blue Jays didn’t have anyone in the top eight in the all around, but still placed third in the seven-team meet with a score of 137.650, edging Bismarck Century (137.575) and Bismarck (137.400). Grand Forks nipped Minot for the team title, 142.675-142.475.

“I guess the good news is we were still ahead of Bismarck and Century,” Tews said. “Dickinson wasn’t there, but everyone else pretty much was. It had the makings of a state meet.

“We had some nice scores, but we weren’t nearly as consistent as we have been. It was one of those where everybody, not just us, seemed a little bit off. It was tough sledding up and down all night.”

Alex Lind (34.775), Kaitlin Walsh (34.650) and Mercedes Westereng (34) hit or cleared the 34-point mark. Grand Forks’ Alex Braaten was the lone competitor to score over 36 at 36.100.

The Blue Jays had just four scores over 9.0, with Walsh recording two of them, well below a typical JHS outing.

“We got some 9s, but we also had to use a few lower scores and that killed us,” Tews said.

Walsh’s third-place finish on the balance beam was the team’s best finish overall, doing so with a mark of 9.100.

“Kaitlin had a couple of nice scores for us. The scoring was OK if you earned it,” Tews said.

The Blue Jays had scores of over 35.750 (vault) and the floor (35.800), but struggled on the beam (33.175) and bears (32.925).

Lind’s 9.250 was the team’s best score in the meet, good for fifth on the floor. Carly Nelson tied for 10th at 9.100. Mercedes Westereng also placed in the event, tying for 15th with a score of 8.850.

“Alex had a nice floor routine. She’s been pulling some good scores for us,” “Carly has done really well here the last two years on the floor.”

Walsh added a seventh-place effort on the vault with a score of 9.100. Lind just missed a 9 at 8.950, while Westereng (8.850), Heidi Engels (8.850) and Abby Wanzek (8.800) were at or above 8.800.

The Blue Jays dual Minot Friday in the Magic City.

“It was good to get out here in the meat grinder and we’ll have another one on Friday, and then try to start sorting out where we need to put people,” Tews said.

Julie Ziegler Invite

At Bismarck

Team results

Grand Forks 142.675, Minot 142.475, Jamestown 137.650, Bismarck Century 137.575, Bismarck 137.400, Fargo North 132.800, Fargo South 123.600.

Individual results

(Top 8 and JHS results)

All around: 1, Alex Braaten, GF, 36.100; 2, Kaylee Keller, BHS, 35.900; T3, Alexa Bateman, GF, 35.700; T3, Brittany Johnson, 35.700; 5, Payton Ringoen, Minot, 35.650; 6, Brooklyn Bender, Minot, 35.325; 7, Misha Taylor, 35.225; 8, Jennifer Albers, Century, 35.150.

JHS results

10, Alex Lind, 34.775; 11, Kaitlin Walsh, 34.650; T18, Mercedes Westereng, 34.000; 25, Brooke Lukach, 32.900.

Vault: 1, Bender, Minot, 9.375; 2, Johnson, GF, 9.300; 3, Samantha Huether, Minot, 9.275; 4, Taylor, Minot, 9.200; T5, Mackenzie Keidel, BHS, 9.150; T5, Bateman, GF, 9.150; T7, Walsh, JHS, 9.100; T7, Kristin Jacobchick, Century, 9.100.

Other JHS results

T13, Lind, 8.950; T19, Westereng, 8.850; T19, Heidi Engels, 8.850; T22, Abby Wanzek, 8.800; T27, Lukach, 8.550.

Bars: 1, Bender, Minot, 9.450; 2, Braaten, GF, 9.325; 3, Albers, Century, 9.125; 4, Keller, BHS, 9.100; 5, Megan Meyer, BHS, 8.950; 6, Ringoen, Minot, 8.900; 7, Lauren Gietzen, Century, 8.625; 8, Lind, JHS, 8.650.

Other JHS results

T19, Westereng, 8.200; 21, Walsh, 8.075; T25, Brittany Mittleider, 8.000; 27, Lukach, 7.975.

Beam: 1, Braaten, GF, 9.175; 2, Ringoen, Minot, 9.075; 3, Walsh, JHS, 9.000; 4, Bateman, GF, 8.825; 5, Keller, BHS, 8.700; 6, Albers, Century, 8.675; 7, Morgan Bitz, GF, 8.600; 8, Faith Marty, North, 8.450.

Other JHS results

T14, Lukach, 8.150; T17, Westereng, 8.100; T21, Lind, 7.925; 29, Mittleider, 7.625.

Floor exercise: 1, Johnson, GF, 9.700; 2, Taylor, Minot, 9.575; 3, Keidel, BHS, 9.300; 4, Bateman, GF, 9.275; T5, Lind, 9.250; T5, Kyrstin Emil, North, 9.250; T7, Huether, Minot, 9.200; T7, Nelson, Century, 9.200.

Other JHS results

T10, Carly Nelson, 9.100; T15, Westereng, 8.850; T24, Engels, 8.600; 26, Walsh, 8.475; 28, Mittleider, 8.425; 30, Lukach, 8.225.

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

Tags: jhs, bluejays, gymnastics, girls, sports