Hartland’s gymnastics team completed the chase for back-to-back state titles by posting the best score on three of the four events, on the way to a 146.5 team score Friday at Milford High School.
“It means a lot,” Hartland coach Gavin Kress said. “I’m so proud of this team. They did an amazing job, and it shows they can achieve a lot and set their minds for success.”
The team was led by senior Alexis Fundich, whose 37.675 all-around score was good for second individually. Fundich finished in the top five on all four events, including a tie for first with her floor routine and a second-place result on vault.
Junior Olivia Flatt and senior Kate Gostlin were also key for Hartland. Flatt was fifth all-around with a 36.1, while Gostlin finished first on vault with a 9.8 and tied for third on floor, scoring a 9.55.
It’s the third title overall for Hartland, which is in the midst of its best run in program history. Before last season, its only other title came in 1999.
Farmington United took runner-up with a 145.45, the program’s highest score of the season. The program was powered by a strong effort on beam with the best team score of the event at 36.95.
Senior Mikayla Dicks had an impressive performance with Friday’s best all-around showing, scoring a 37.925. Her 9.475 on bars was the best of the day, along with top three results on beam and vault.
Two other seniors, Aubrey Woodman and Vanessa Iacoban, also posted top-10, all-around scores, finishing seventh and ninth, respectively.
“We beat some really good teams to take home the state runner-up trophy,” Farmington United coach Jeff Dwyer said. “I was really happy with our effort.”
Rockford was third, scoring 143.825 as a team, followed by Plymouth in fourth at 142.325.
It was the second top-four finish in program history for Plymouth, which didn’t have an all-around performer in the top 25 but put gymnasts in the top 10 individually on three of four events.
Plymouth excelled on beam, with junior Evie Lee and sophomore Lilly Olson leading it to the second-best score of the event. Lee’s routine was tied for third at 9.3, while Olson scored a 9.175 to finish in a tie for seventh individually.
The team also put three gymnasts in the top 10 on bars, with sophomore Ava Gurung taking fifth with a 9.025. Olson and sophomore Mia Funelas finished in a tie for eighth, helping Plymouth post the third best score at 35.125.
Hosting Huron Valley United gave its fans plenty to cheer for, notching its best finish at the state final since 2012, taking fifth with a team score 141.375.
Senior Stella Musialowski continued her strong scores at regionals, with a 9.725 on beam propelling her to third all-around. Her 37.5 also included top three scores on both floor and bars.
Musialowski, Dicks and Fundich are the front runners for the Division 1 individual championships, set to be crowned on Saturday afternoon.
Brighton-Howell, Northville and Livonia Red rounded out the Metro Detroit area programs in the top 10, finishing seventh, eighth and ninth. Brighton-Howell junior Zoe Cerda finished 10th individually with a 35.4 all-around score.
Grosse Pointe United rounded out the scoring in 12th.
Nathan Korp is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Hartland’s gymnastics team earns back-to-back state championships
Reporting by Nathan Korp, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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