3 in a row for SJA gymnastics

• By FRED ALDRICH
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Apr 27, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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St. Joseph’s Academy swept all three divisions of the LHSAA girls gymnastics state meet to chalk up its third straight overall title in competition at Baton Rouge High on Saturday.

The Redstickers had the top all-around individual in two of the three divisions as they edged East Ascension 224.075 to 220.575 for the team championship. Scores were compiled by taking each team’s top three scores in each event in Division Three (beginner), the top two in Division Two (advanced beginner) and the top score in Division One (beginning optional).

“It was nothing but smiles today,” said SJA coach Robbie Banta. “We had a pretty rough start to the year since we lost a lot of seniors from last year’s team and we could work out only once a week.

“We also have to share gym space, and some of the girls couldn’t start until January, but this team just learned to roll with the punches,” he said.

Madison Moore of SJA was the top all-around performer in Division One, finishing ahead of Maddie Landry of St. Louis 37.400 to 37.200. Ellyn Marks was the other SJA all-around champion, winning Division Three with a 37.700 score.

“Ellyn is really a leader on our team,” Banta said. “She has a fantastic work ethic, and her teammates feed off of that.”

McKenzie Rodrigue of Ascension Catholic, a sixth grader who started gymnastics at the age of two, took first place in Division Two all-around at 37.450.

“I think the floor exercise was my best event today. It was a routine that I’ve been doing for a long time,” she said.

Rodrigue won the event with a 9.450 score.

Moore had her greatest difficulty with the balance beam where she fell during her routine and finished in fifth place.

“I fell on the beam, but after that I just got over it,” she said. “My best event was the (uneven) bars where I was trying a new routine. Our team really worked together and cheered each other on today.”

Moore finished first in the vault and the uneven bars on her way to the all-around crown. Morgan Leleux of Catholic High of New Iberia, one of the state’s top pole vaulters, grabbed the top medal in the other two events, the beam and the floor exercise.

Rodrigue won the floor exercise in Division Two, and Marks topped Division III Three in the vault and the floor exercise.

Other first-place winners were Tori Barton of East Ascension (Division Two vault), Leslie Burch of Dutchtown (Division Two uneven bars), Kaci Melancon of East Ascension (Division Three uneven bars), Kaitlyn Johnson, East Ascension (Division Three balance beam), and Mary K. Montes (Division Two balance beam).

Current SJA assistant coach Ana Wiggins was on the first SJA team that participated in the state tournament in 2003.

“We were runner-up one year before we finally won our first state championship,” Wiggins said.

“Some of the girls were afraid we might be jinxed this year when they read in the paper that we were supposed to ‘clean up’ but it didn’t really affect them.”

Banta said he was surprised at some of the final results.

“I knew we’d do well as a team, but I was rather shocked that we did as well as we did in the individual events,” he said.

Baton Rouge High finished third in Divisions Two and Three and second in Division One to capture third place overall ahead of Caddo Magnet, 203.30 to 200.55.

The Bulldogs’ highest individual finisher was Melody Thomas at ninth place in Division One.

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STATE GYMNASTICS RESULTS

Team scores: 1, St. Joseph’s Academy 224.075. 2, East Ascension 220.575. 3, Baton Rouge High 203.30. 4, Caddo Magnet 200.55. 5, Dutchtown 154.300. 6, St. Amant 140.850. 7, Catholic, New Iberia. 108.35. 8, Newman 83.950. 10, Ascension Catholic 37.450. 11, St. Louis 37.200. 12, Runnels 37.075. 13, Ponchatoula 36.225. 14, St. Thomas Aquinas 35.725. 15, Episcopal-BR 30.300. 16, Vandebilt Catholic 26.950.

Individual Events

Division One

Vault: 1. Madison Moore, St. Joseph’s Academy, 9.500. 2. Morgan Leleux, Catholic-New Iberia, 9.350. 3. Jenna Caletri, Vandebilt Catholic, 9.300.

Uneven Bars: 1. Madison Moore, SJA, 9.500. 2. Maddie Landry, St. Louis, 9.200. 3. Hanna Lee, SJA, 8.900.

Balance Beam: 1. Morgann LeLeu, CHNI, 9.400. 2. Hanna Lee, SJA, 9.400. 3. Maddie Landry, St. Louis, 9.300.

Floor Exercise: 1. Morgan Leleux, CHNI, 9.600. 2. Madison Moore, SJA, 9.500. 3. Maddie Landry, St. Louis, 9.450.

All-Around: 1. Madison Moore, SJA, 37.400. 2. Maddie Landry, St. Louis, 37.200. 3. Morgann Leleux, CHNI, 36.850.

Division Two

Vault: 1. Tori Barton, East Ascension, 9.600. 2. McKenzie Rodrigue, Ascension Catholic, 9.550. 3. Madelinn Fink, Runnels, 9.500.

Uneven Bars: 1. Leslie Burch, Dutchtown, 9.600. 2. Michaela Gaudin, East Ascension, 9.500. 3. Tori Barton, East Ascension, 9.300.

Balance Beam: 1. Mary K. Montes, SJA, 9.650. 2. Erica Lloyd, SJA, 9.625. 3. McKenzie Rodrigue, ACHS, 9.550.

Floor Exercise: 1. McKenzie Rodrigue, ACHS, 9.450. 2. Madelinn Fink, Runnels, 9.425. 3. Lauren Champagne, Dutchtown, 9.375.

All-Around: 1. McKenzie Rodrigue, ACHS, 37.450. 2. Michaela Gaudin, EAHS, 37.150. 3. Madelinn Fink, Runnels, 37.075.

Division Three

Vault: 1. Ellyn Marks, SJA, 9.750. 2. Olivia Burdette, SJA, 9.650. Lynnika Pitts, EAHS, 9.600.

Uneven Bars: 1. Kaci Melancon, EAHS, 9.450. 2. Morgan Lahask, CHNI, 9.300. 3. Lynnika Pitts, EAHS, 9.250.

Balance Beam: 1. Kaitlyn Johnson, EAHS, 9.650. 2. Kaci Melancon, EAHS, 9.500. 3. Chelsea Pere, SJA, 9.350.

Floor Exercise: 1. Ellyn Marks, SJA, 9.450. 2. Olivia Burdette, SJA, 9.300. 3. Chelsea Pere, SJA, 9.100.

All-Around: 1. Ellyn Marks, SJA, 37.700. 2. Kaci Melancon, EAHS, 37.300. 3. Kaitlyn Johnson, EAHS, 37.075.