NegauneeÕs Riley Carlson competes on the balance beam during the Elks Invitational at Escanaba on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019. (Escanaba Daily Press photo by Justin St. Ours)

By JUSTIN ST. OURS

Escanaba Daily Press

ESCANABA — The Escanaba gymnastics team took another step toward qualifying for regional competition after winning its Elks Invitational tournament on Saturday, totaling 122.05 points as Marquette had 119.6 and Negaunee 98.55.

“(I’m) very proud that this is our second (score above 120),” Esky coach Theresa Pascoe said. “Marquette (wasn’t) far behind us. I was impressed with them.”

Marquette’s Haddie Ketzenberger won the all-around title with 34.3 points thanks to first-place finishes on floor (8.7) and beam (8.85) with a second place on the uneven bars (8.25).

“I think we’ve been working really hard this season, and I’ve been working since October,” Ketzenberger said. “Working every day at practice and just the repetition is what’s helped me.

“I felt pretty good … even though it was the first meet, which is always kind of nerve-wracking. I thought it went well.”

Negaunee’s May Waters was second all-around with 33.4 points after taking top honors on uneven bars (8.4) and second-place finishes on floor (8.4) and beam (8.05).

Esky rounded out the top five in all-around with Abbie Derouin (32.4), Maddy Block (30.25) and Lizzy Sliva (29.85).

Derouin finished top in vault with 9.00 points, followed by Block (8.7), Waters (8.55), Ketzenberger (8.5) and Sliva (8.25).

Block (8.3), Derouin (8.2) and the Redettes’ Julia King (8.05) rounded out floor.

“On floor, we were just talking the other day about adding more difficulty,” Pascoe said. “Not in our tumbling passes, but in our dance, which is your jumps and leaps. Over Christmas vacation, we need to take a look and see how we can incorporate those.”

The Redettes ended up with three spots on beam with Grace Henning (8.05) finishing third, King (7.5) taking fifth and Esky’s Jasmine Clark (7.55) landing between them in fourth.

“We’ve got lots of new kids,” Redettes coach Bridget Johnson said. “(We’ve) got a big team this year. I was especially proud of how everyone did…”