Brenna Deason shocked herself Saturday, Feb. 16.
The Brainerd Warriors' eighth-grader recorded a first-place finish in both beam and her high-scoring Michael Jackson themed floor routine and qualified for state on floor, beam, bars and vault and the all-around to highlight the Warriors second-place team finish at the Section 8-2A meet at Brainerd High School.
"I'm just very happy that I get to go to state with three of my teammates," Deason said.
Those three teammates include Izzy Olson on vault and floor, Kenna Smith on floor and Jocelyn Polanski on floor.
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"I had to make an executive coaching decision to allow Brenna to compete in the all-around," said Brainerd head coach Tessa Poorker. "At the beginning of the meet, I did not have her competing on bars, but she proved she was confident and calm enough to compete."
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Section 8-2A
- Results: Warriors finish second
- Warriors advancing: Brenna Deason, Izzy Olson, Kenna Smith, Jocelyn Polanski
- Next: Class 2A Individual Championship at Maturi Pavilion, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23
- For more photos, go to https://bit.ly/2SVtMcO .
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Deason posted an all-around score of 36.55 to finish behind St. Cloud Tech's Kaija Ludwig who scored a 37.05. Deason was fourth on vault and bars. She won beam with a 9.625 and won floor with a 9.525.
On floor, Smith trailed Deason in second, Olson finished third and Polansky landed in a three-way tie for sixth, but was selected by the head judge to advance to state.
"Making it to state is an indescribable feeling," said Polansky, a senior. "I'm lucky that I get the chance to compete at state in my last year."
The Warriors finished 1.1 points behind section champion St. Cloud Tech. The Warriors scored 141.6 points.
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"It was loud and intense (Saturday)," said Poorker. "It was up in the air as to who would take home the championship, but we wear our second place with pride."
The last time the Warriors advanced to state was in 2004 when Poorker and assistant coach Jessica Lofrano-Larson were competing on the gymnastics team.
"We're graduating two seniors this year, but we will still have the same goals next year to once again attempt to make it to the state team tournament," said Poorker.
For more photos, go to https://bit.ly/2SVtMcO .
Team scores: 1-St Cloud Tech 142.7, 2-Brainerd 141.6, 3-Elk River 140.7, 4-Bemidji 140.6, 5-Buffalo 138.7, 6-STMA 138.5, 7-Sauk Rapids-Rice 132.4, 8-Moorhead 130.7
Vault: 1-Abby Rekstad (Elk River) 9.4, 3-Izzy Olson (Brd) 9.35, 6-Ellie Selisker (Brd), Uneven parallel bars: 1-Kaija Ludewig (Tech) 9.375, 4-Deason Balance beam: 1- Brenna Deason (Brd) 9.62 Floor exercise: 1-Brenna Deason (Brd) 9.525, 2-Kenna Smith (Brd), 3-Izzy Olson (Brd), 5-Jocelyn Polanski (Brd) All-around: 1-Kaija Ludwig (Tech) 37.05. 2-Brenna Deason (Brd) 36.55, 3-Madi Peters (Buffalo) 36.37
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