Year in Review 2011: Park gymnastics team wins conference, section, takes third in state

The Park gymnastics team put a stamp on a heck of a season, while making their mark at the 2010-11 Class AA state meet on Friday, Feb. 25, at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion.

After going a perfect 9-0 during the regular season, and winning Suburban East Conference and Section 4AA championships, Park took third place in the Class AA state meet with a season-high 149.825, matching its finish in its last state meet — in the 2006-07 season.

Northfield won the Class AA team state championship for a second-straight time with a 150.4. Conference foe Roseville took second place with a 150.1.

The eight gymnasts who contributed to Park’s score at state were all underclassmen. Baylee Erickson was a junior, Kasondra Tulloch, Rachel Deephouse and McKay Zurn were sophomores, Kelly McKenzie, Allie Minogue and Sarah LaBrosse were freshman and Sarah Schank was an eighth-grader.

“They responded extremely well,” Park coach Mark Sikich said after the meet. “I’m just so proud of them. Our fans, the busloads of kids that came were incredible. For the school to be behind them so much it is unbelievable. I’m kind of speechless right now, the kids did such an outstanding job.”

Park’s highest score of the meet was turned in by Tulloch with a 9.8 on the vault. Tulloch also scored team-high scores on the bars (9.7), the beam (9.3) and in the floor exercise (9.750). Her all-around score would have been a 38.55, but that is not tracked in the team contest.

In addition to Tulloch, Deephouse had Park’s second-best performance in three of four events, scoring a 9.675 in the floor exercise, a 9.275 on the beam and a 9.425 on the bars. Her 9.55 in the vault was the team’s third-best score. McKenzie had Park’s third-best score in the floor exercise (9.525) and second-best score in the vault (9.575). LaBrosse had Park’s third-highest score on the bars (9.175) and fourth-best scores in the vault (9.475) and on the beam (8.675).

Additionally, in the individual competition, Tulloch earned second place and Deephouse took third place in the all-around competition, becoming the first Park gymnasts to medal at the state meet since the 2006-07 season.

With the top three finishers within just over a tenth of a point, the 2010-11 all-around was one of the closest competitions in state history. Tulloch earned a season-high 38.375 all-around score and Deephouse scored a 38.3. Rogers 2011 grad Sabrina Hoover won the Class AA state all-around title with a 38.425. It was Hoover’s third-straight all-around championship.

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