By Gerardo Bolong
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

FEDERAL WAY - Early season gymnastics has proven to be favorable to Mt. Rainier High School (Des Moines).

All around runner up Ava Welch led the Mt. Rainier girls gymnastics team to its second meet win in two tries this season at the Todd Beamer gymnasium on Wed., Dec. 17.

Welch posted top meet scores on the vault (9.2) and the uneven parallel bars (7.9). Coupled with a 9.5 second place on the floor exercise and third spot on the balance beam at 8.3, the Ram athlete claimed second place on the all-around competition, scoring 34.9 points, which left her only two-tenths of a point behind Kourtney Belarde of North Thurston (35.1). Belarde captured the floor at 9.55 while Sam Sperbeck of Decatur built her third place AA score of 32.35 on her first place beam total of 9.1.
"Tonight, I was good on the vault and the floor. I was getting great height. Since last year, I've improved on the floor and bars. Now, I've added a lay out twist and giants to my routines, although I didn't use them tonight. I want to do well at district and go to state."

SPSL 4A Mt. Rainier scored 145.3 team points to outdistance SPSL 4A teams Decatur (141.35), Todd Beamer (138.4) and 3A Narrows League North Thurston (135.75). The winning margin for the Rams came by virtue of team scores of 42.1 on the floor and 37.7 on the vault.

"We improved as a team (from the opening meet's 142 at Bonney Lake), but we have some of our own competitors hurt," said MR head coach Ali Kestle. "Ava and Regan are top returning gymnasts. Newcomers Sonya Harkness and Bayleigh Nolan round out our top four."

Hunt combined a 7.3 third place on bars with a fourth place 9.25 on the floor plus fifth place on the beam (7.0) to collect 30.95 as a fourth place all-around placer.