INDIANAPOLIS — Although teammate Andrea Morken had her best all-around performance of the year, Plainfield’s Tori Johnson was the only Quaker to move on from Saturday’s IHSAA gymnastics sectional at Warren Central High School.
Lawrence Central won the competition, with Plainfield finishing 13 points behind in fifth place.
Johnson’s performance was not what she hoped for, but a nagging injury and a mistake in the floor competition hampered her effort.
“She’s very disappointed about not making it on floor,” Plainfield coach Stephanie Strout said. “But that happens in competition. You train all year to keep consistency, and then when one little thing happens, it can take you out of the meet.”
Johnson advanced in the beam by placing second overall behind LC’s Rachel Hilgendorf. She also moved on in the all-around competition, finishing fifth. She will compete at the Harrison regional in West Lafayette this coming weekend.
Rachel Gressley, Rachel Leath, Olivia Miller, Taylor Morrison, and Carmen Solenberg also participated in the sectional, but did not advance.
All of the Quaker gymnasts return next year.
“We have a very young team, which gives us a lot of depth,” Strout said.
The team’s depth partially comes from the program Strout runs at her training facility, the Flip Zone. Plainfield gymnasts train both there and at the school.
“I have an advantage at Flip Zone,” Strout said. “We have a tumble track which saves a lot on injuries — due to a lot of pounding — and we have above-ground pits there. It’s also good for the feeder program to see the high school program and what they have.”
The facility is open to the public and offers training to students from ages 1-18. The gymnastics program has around 60 members right now.
“I would say that 75 percent of my 60 team girls are in the Plainfield schools,” Strout said. “So with that in the future, knowing that they’re starting competition as early as 5 and 6 years old, that’s exciting.”
Individual and team improvement are the goals of all athletic programs in the offseason, but some Plainfield gymnasts moonlight as cheerleaders, and that can affect their training.
“They were involved with cheerleading this past year, and this year they are taking a break from cheerleading from what I understand,” Strout said. “Gymnastics is really a year-round sport, and getting the mentality of these gymnasts to know that they have to train year-round, we can’t come in for four months and expect to be the top in the state.”
A former two-time Indiana state champion on the beam, Strout has been involved with gymnastics all her life and recognizes the advantages it offers young athletes.
“Gymnastics is my life, it really is, I truly live it,” Strout said. “I believe in it. It does so much for your personal aspects, your success in life, and your drive.”
When Strout took over the team, there was not much of a team to work with. But after developing a small class program at the school, it sparked interest.
“It has really gone fast and that’s the biggest thing,” Strout said. “I love Plainfield. There’s a lot of support there from the community for the program, and for the Flip Zone.”
With such support and optimism from the team and community, the bar has been raised for Plainfield gymnastics.
“Expect greatness to come,” Strout said. “That’s my plan for the future.”
Sports
Quaker gymnast advances to regionals
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Bethesda makes history with sectional win
BROWNSBURG — Senior Olivia Harrison literally helped build Bethesda Christian’s field four years ago and Thursday night she was instrumental in breaking ground in another area for the Patriots — a sectional championship.
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Cadets fall to Eagles in sectional final
CLAYTON — Despite all of Cascade’s best efforts, the Cadets came up short in their sectional softball final for the second consecutive year. Three Cadet errors late in the game set up the South Putnam Eagles’ win.
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Heartbreaking loss ends Orioles’ season prematurely
INDIANAPOLIS — It was not supposed to end like this.
Graduating only two seniors from last year’s Class 4A state runner-up softball team and returning the core of its squad, this was going to be to the season the Avon softball team took the crown.
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Bulldogs bite Orioles
AVON — The contest between the Avon and Brownsburg baseball teams would have ended as a 1-0 advantage for the Bulldogs had the second and third innings not gotten away from the Orioles. Brownsburg caught fire in those two innings of Thursday’s sectional game and won convincingly, 7-1.
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Patriots eliminate Quakers
PLAINFIELD — Baseball legend Willie Keeler once said the secret of hitting was to “hit ‘em where they ain’t.” Unfortunately for the Plainfield Quakers baseball team, too many of their key at bats went to Terre Haute North fielders as the Patriots won a 5-1 decision over the host Quakers in the opening game of Class 4A Sectional 12 on Wednesday.
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Bulldogs wake up in sixth inning, pull off comeback win
INDIANAPOLIS— For five innings, it looked like Brownsburg’s postseason run would end the same night it begun.
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Cadets blow by Bulldogs, 9-0
CLAYTON — Following a 9-1 win over Cloverdale on Monday night, the Cascade softball team returned to the field for second round play against Monrovia on Tuesday in the 2012 2A Sectional No. 44 semifinal.
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Avon's doubles team advances
INDIANAPOLIS — Avon’s top doubles girls’ tennis team could have lost concentration after an early advantage.
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Bruins win late to advance in sectional, 3-2
BEECH GROVE - With three hits through five innings, the Tri-West softball team needed some offense and the bottom of its lineup came through.
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Bulldogs fall in sectional final
BROWNSBURG — Heading into the sectional final last Saturday, the Brownsburg girls’ tennis team sought its 10th sectional championship. After four matches had finished, it was knotted up at 2-2 with the No. 2 singles match heading into the third and deciding set.
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