Park gymnastics: Wolfpack coming around

A month out from the Section 3AA tournament, the Park gymnastics team seems to be putting the pieces together again.

Last week, Park earned its two highest scores of the season, including cracking the 140-point mark for the first time this year.

Park scored 139.775 in a win over East Ridge on Thursday, then followed it up with a 140.53 in a fourth-place finish at the Lakeville North Invitational this past Saturday. Park did so without the services of one of its top gymnasts, senior Rachel Deephouse, who injured her ankle in a meet in late December.

The win over East Ridge, which scored 134.375, helped Park avenge a loss to the Raptors last season when the Wolfpack was ravished with injury.

This time around, Park senior Kasondra Tulloch led the Wolfpack to the victory, winning the all-around competition with a 35.725 score. However, Tulloch’s teammates Sarah Schank and Sarah LaBrosse weren’t too far back. Schank, a sophomore, was second in the all-around (34.375) and LaBrosse, a junior, was third (33.6).

Park won the vault (35.975), the bars (33.975), the beam (33.675) and the floor exercise (36.150) in the meet.

Tulloch won the bars (9.350) and the vault (9.375), took third in the floor exercise (9.0) and fifth on the beam (8.0). Fellow senior McKay Zurn won the beam with a 9.150 and took first in the floor exercise with a 9.275. Schank finished second in the floor exercise with a 9.225, took third on the beam with an 8.750 and was tied for fourth in the vault (8.750). LaBrosse earned third in the vault (9.1) and earned fourth on the bars (8.45).

Park carried the momentum over to the Lakeville North Invitational, finishing in fourth place out of 15 teams with a 140.53. Roseville won the meet with a 148.9, ahead of Northfield (147.38) and Melrose (145.9). Northfield had been ranked No. 1 in Class AA, ahead of No. 2 St. Cloud Tech and No. 3 Roseville. In the meet, Park scored higher than eighth-ranked Stillwater (138.35) and ninth-ranked Lakeville North (136.4).

Tulloch and Schank led the way for the Wolfpack once again. Schank had Park’s top all-around score with a 36.505, just a hair ahead of Tulloch, who scored a 36.5. Tulloch had the Wolfpack’s highest score in an individual event, scoring an impressive 9.7 on the uneven bars. Schank’s best placement came on the beam, where she scored a 9.45. Lakeville North’s Bailey Dupay won the all-around competition with a 38.3.

Next up, Park brings its show home for a Suburban East Conference meet against Forest Lake on Thursday, Jan. 24. The meet is set for 6:30 p.m.

Tags: sports, gymnastics, park, wolfpack, prep, updates