THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702160227
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: 45 lines
As expected, the Beach District dominated competition at the Eastern Region gymnastics meet at Warwick High.
Salem and Cox grabbed the region's two team spots in next weekend's Group AAA state meet at Brooke Point in Stafford, in a one-two repeat of last weekend's Beach meet. The Sun Devils had 146.74 points to the Falcons' 146.39.
And individually, led by Kellam senior Brooke Sawyer's defense of her region all-around title, the Beach had four of seven all-around state qualifiers.
Sawyer edged Beach champ Kit Johnson of Salem by just six-hundredths of a point - 37.68-37.62.
Among the other all-around qualifers, Melissa Suter of Deep Creek had 37.34 to finish third, followed by Lana Pinera of Cox with 37.2, Davinia Roberts of Salem with 37.13, Darden Wilee of Great Bridge with 37.07 and Menchville's Pam Brinker with 37.02.
A four-event total of 37.0 was needed to advance.
Surprisingly, Sawyer kept her title despite not winning any individual events. She was second to teammate Michelle Alexander on uneven bars, was third on balance beam, fourth in vaulting and tied for fifth on floor.
Johnson - who set a Group AAA state all-around record of 38.33 last week - captured two titles, winning floor with a 9.7 and vaulting with a 9.67.
Sawyer was one of three to hold the previous state record of 38.2, tying the mark in winning last year's region event.
``I'd just like to beat my own mark at the state meet,'' said Sawyer, who missed her sophomore year and much of this season due to injury. ``I was pretty upset with my scores last week and it was a real eye-opener. I realized I needed to work harder because I hadn't been back that long.
``If I can beat my own personal best, it won't matter to me where I finish at state.''
Great Bridge's Darden Wilee - who had been having trouble staying on balance beam in the last several meets - won on beam with a 9.63.
For the first time in her high school career, Alexander - a state runner-up two years ago - did not qualify for the state individual all-around. Her total of 36.61 would have been a qualifying 37.11, were it not for a rare fall and the subsequent half-point deduction on balance beam.
``She's never fallen in postseason competition,'' Kellam coach Debi Strausbaugh said. ``And only a couple of times in four years.''