Newport Gymnasts Rally from Behind to Win The 4A State Gymnastics Championship

TACOMA -- Kristine Wong took the All-Around title and the Newport Knights girls gymnastics team rallied from behind overtaking Todd Beamer High School by .55 points to claim the 2011 WIAA 4A State Gymnastics team championship on Friday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.

“This is exciting for the team and myself and the other coaches, to come here in my first year from coaching gymnastics in Minnesota to win a State title, I definitely will be coaching here next year," Newport coach Melissa Baker said.

Wong said on winning the state title, “It’s amazing, I am still in shock.”

Newport took first place with 174.000; Todd Beamer followed with 173.450. Thomas Jefferson took third with 170.875, and Mead trailed with 166.175. Newport’s Wong, who won both the balance beam and floor exercise event, claimed the all-around title with a score of 37.300

"I didn’t think I would place after I fell on bars," Wong said. “I knew I had to bring it on every other event.”

The Knights suffered multiple falls in their first two rotations, the uneven bars and the balance beam but coach Baker never lost confidence in her squad heading into the floor exercise and vault Newport scored a meet high 47.375 on the floor exercise and that propelled them back into contention getting them within a point of Todd Beamer. Kristine Wong’s 9.75 and Candace Ho’s 9.625 led the way for the Knights.

“We knew we were down but we didn’t tell the girls,” Baker said. “We got 9.6’s and 9.7’s on Floor that fired us up heading into the vault.”

Newport still trailed by .65 points behind Todd Beamer as they moved into the final rotation on the vault.

The Knights would get clutch performances by Kristine Wong at 9.375, and Candace Ho at 9.35 to finish the rally form eight points down to clinch the State Championship for Newport in their first year at the Class 4A level.

“Beamer really brought it,” Baker said. “We were literally one girl falling away from not winning the meet.”

The Knights in the end were able to overcome the eight point deficit thanks to their resilience in continuing to compete until the end and both Coach Baker and Wong lauded their team’s resilience throught the meet.

Baker said, “When the team is not having a good day they don’t look back, they look to the future. It makes them work harder.”

Wong said, “We have such a great cheering squad. We are always striving the do our personal best no matter what.”

Team Results

1. Newport 174.000, 2. Todd Beamer 173.450, 3. Thomas Jefferson 170.875 4. Mead 166.175

Top Newport Perfomers

All-Around: Wong 37.3, Ho 36.475

Vault: Wong 9.375, Ho 9.35, Lee 8.750, Miller 8.725

Bars: Ho 8.85, Wong 8.725, Fujii 8.000,

Beam: Wong 9.450, Fujii 9.250, Ho 8.825

Floor: Wong 9.75, Ho 9.625, Fujii 9.425, Miller 9.325