By RICHIE HALL
NOBLESVILLE – If a sports team measures success by improvement throughout a season, then the Noblesville gymnastics team has definitely had a successful season.
The Millers finished up the regular season on Wednesday by hosting Crawfordsville in a dual meet at Noblesville East Middle School. The Millers won the meet 88.00-84.225, marking their second-highest score of the season. Noblesville had scored an 88.70 earlier in the year.
“Honestly, I was hoping we’d get into the 90s for today,” said Millers coach Jody Ramey. “We’re going to get there for sectionals.”
And considering the fact that Noblesville scored a 79.05 in its first meet of the year, the team has come a long way.
“Looking at where we started this season and where we are ending, it’s huge,” said Ramey. “Especially with half of these girls being beginners, starting out.”
Sophomore Hailey Knoll had the Millers’ highest score of the night, with an 8.425 securing her a first-place finish in the vault. Ramey has been pleased with Knoll’s consistency throughout the season.
“I know what’s coming from her for every competition,” said Ramey. “I’m very proud of her for all she’s doing so far.”
Freshman Kiera Harper was the top all-around athlete for Noblesville, taking second with a score of 31.375. Harper won the floor exercise with an 8.30 and the balance beam with a 7.90.
Harper just had her first competition last weekend, this after sitting out from competitive gymnastics for the past year. Ramey said Harper only had 11 practices before her first meet.
“That’s tough, coming in after a whole year of being off,” said Ramey. “She’s kind of just at the beginning of the season, so to speak. She’s got bigger things up her sleeve for sectionals, that we’re going to save until sectionals.”
Another high point was Grace Bastin, who returned from injury to deliver a strong performance in the floor exercise. She scored 7.15 for her Wednesday night routine.
“For her to come back and be able to perform this strong, I was very proud of her,” said Ramey.
Noblesville is now focused on the sectional, which it will host this year. The sectional is set for Friday, Feb. 28 and will take place at Noblesville East Middle School. The start time is 7 p.m.
“We are a team that always seems to peak at sectionals,” said Ramey. “We’re going to get this done. We’re going to take the extra work that it needs to happen to make sure it’s done for sectionals.”
Team score: Noblesville 88.00, Crawfordsville 84.225.
All-around scores: 2. Keira Harper 31.375, 3. Hailey Knoll 28.725, Ella Deno 26.80, Lexi Reister 24.75.
Vault: 1. Knoll 8.425, 2. Harper 8.175, 5. Cailey Hurst 7.95, Reister 7.60, Deno 7.575. Junior varsity score: Angel Dismuke 7.00.
Uneven bars: 2. Harper 7.00, 3. Knoll 6.35, 6. Reister 4.975, Deno 4.875.
Balance beam: 1. Harper 7.90, 3. Deno 6.90, 4. Knoll 6.80, Reister 5.60, Grace Bastin 5.275. Junior varsity scores: 3. Dismuke 4.70, Alexa Cerdas 4.20.
Floor exercise: 1. Harper 8.30, 3. Hurst 7.775, 4. Deno 7.45, 6. Knoll 7.15, Reister 6.575. Junior varsity scores: 1. Bastin 7.15, Dismuke 5.825, Cerdas 5.50.
Noblesville’s Keira Harper won the floor exercise and balance beam events for the Millers at their gymnastics meet with Crawfordsville Wednesday at Noblesville East Middle School. (Kent Graham)
Hailey Knoll won the vault for Noblesville with an 8.425. (Kent Graham)