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Back in competition: Marquette Senior High School gymnasts hold off Negaunee

Marquette's Hadley Ketzenberger competes on the beam during a high school gymnastics meet with Negaunee held at the Redettes' gym on Monday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

“We went nearly all last week without practice because of the weather.” — Eyre Becker, head coach, Negaunee

High School gymnastics

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MARQUETTE — As the high school gymnastics regular season nears its end, Negaunee and Marquette squared off in a two-team dual ahead of the Great Northern Conference and Upper Peninsula Championships set for Monday in Negaunee.

In this dual meet, the Redettes defeated the Miners 116.10 to 104.35. Marquette received wins in two of four events, both coming from sophomore Hadley Ketzenberger. Ketzenberger won the beam with a score of 8.6 while earning 9.0 on the floor.

The Miners had the best all-around gymnast of the evening, junior May Waters, who scored a combined 34.2 points across all four events.

Negaunee High School junior gymnast May Waters prepares for her floor routine in a dual meet at Marquette Senior High School on Monday night. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

Marquette head coach Bridget Johnson said her team is finding its stride with a young roster late in the season.

“They’re doing great,” she said. “We do have a very young roster with two seniors, one junior and then the rest are sophomores and freshmen. We’re just learning the ropes.

“We were looking for qualifying scores to go to regionals and we got the scores we needed (today). It was really good.”

Negaunee head coach Eyre Becker said it was nice to get back into dual meet action after a load of adversity that has included sickness, injuries and the weather.

“We’ve been beleaguered with injuries and illnesses and we’ve not had a full complement in what seems like two or three meets,” she said. “This is a really wonderful experience because we went nearly all last week without practice because of the weather.

“To come in cold and still not have the best of meets, knowing that we have another meet in five days and then GNCs in eight, it’s a really good experience to be knocked down a little bit and know that the importance of practice really makes a huge difference.”

Becker added her team had struggles after the long break.

“We had a very hard time on beam,” she said. “It’s always hard on beam, but (tonight), it was especially difficult because we haven’t practiced. Coming in pretty cold and pretty goofy, the girls have missed the camaraderie and they’re having more fun joking around with each other than actually competing.”

Waters finished second on the beam with 8.1, followed by three Redettes — senior Enola Jeevar and sophomores Kaitlyn Berandt and Julia King.

Waters again took second on the floor with 9.0, followed by Marquette’s Berandt, Jeevar, freshmen Ozzie Newcomb and King.

The Miners took the top spots on the bars and vault, receiving wins from Waters on the bars with 8.8 and senior Kylar Kallioinen in the vault with 8.5.

Taking second in the bars was Ketzenberger with 7.6, followed by King, Berandt and Negaunee sophomore Skye Clinton.

Ketzenberger was also the runner-up in the vault with 8.5, followed by Waters, Jeevar and King.

Following Waters in the all-around category were Ketzenberger with 33.7 points, Berandt 27.8, King 27.2 and Jeevar 26.15.

Marquette and Negaunee will compete at the PEAK Performance Meet on Saturday in Marquette.

Email Ryan Spitza at sports@miningjournal.net.

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