THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 11, 1996 TAG: 9602110269
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
For Kellam to win its first Beach District gymnastics tournament, it had to get better than average scores from its No. 3, 4 and 5 competitors.
Saturday at Cox, the Knights got just that from Theresa Polizzi, Kim Russell and Leigh Wallace.
Coupled with the usual outstanding efforts of team leaders Brooke Sawyer and Michelle Alexander, Kellam broke the district team scoring record with 146.8 points.
Each team's top four scores in each event count toward the overall team score.
``There was some pressure on (the three of us) because we're not as consistent as Brooke and Michelle,'' Polizzi said. ``We've been feeling some pressure lately, but not really today. We all felt like we were on today.''
Cox was also on and surpassed the old mark of 145.3 in finishing second with 146.1. Both teams advance to the Eastern Region meet Saturday at Warwick High in Newport News.
``We got great performances from our third, fourth and fifth (gymnasts) too,'' Cox coach Melody Hartranft said. ``But their top two gymnasts. . . . we don't have those scores.''
Also advancing to the region meet will be the top four all-arounds and 11 others who met the qualifying mark of 35 or more total points. The top eight competitors in each individual event, plus any gymnast scoring a 9 or higher in that event, will advance as well.
Sawyer recaptured her all-around title from teammate Alexander by tying her own district record mark of 38.2 total points.
Sawyer won the title two years ago, but didn't compete last year because of a hairline fracture in her leg. Alexander won last year's title and is the defending region champ. She finished second Saturday with 37.33. Lana Pinera of Cox and Salem's Davinia Roberts were third and fourth, respectively.
Sawyer tied for first on uneven parallel bars with First Colonial's Susan Funk with a 9.53. She won on balance beam with a 9.53, and captured the vault with an impressive hand spring front that scored a 9.73. Sawyer, a junior, finished fourth on floor.
Alexander, last year's state all-around runner-up, tied for the floor title with defending state floor champion Roberts. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
L. TODD SPENCER/The Virginian-Pilot
Brooke Sawyer of Kellam ends her floor exercise, recapturing her
all-around title at the Beach District Gymnastics Tournament.
by CNB