THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 6, 1997 TAG: 9702060644
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: 45 lines
Erin Pendleton had no idea she was a tenth of a point away from setting a new Group AAA all-around score.
The Hickory freshman needed a 9.5 on her last event - floor - at Wednesday's Southeastern District gymnastics meet to break a record of 38.2 she had tied earlier in the season.
The mark was set in 1994 by Menchville's Catherine Creswell and equaled in last year's region meet by defending state champion Brooke Sawyer of Kellam.
She was happy with the 9.4 the judges flashed, but didn't realize she had tied the record.
``It was better that I didn't know (going into the event),'' she said.
Pendleton also helped lead her Hawks team to the Southeastern team title in the school's first season. Hickory edged defending champion Great Bridge 138.65 to 138.5. Both teams advance to the Eastern Region meet Feb. 15 at Warwick High.
Unfortunately, the Hawks will be without Pendleton's services at the region meet. The Ocean Tumblers Gymnastics School level 10 performer will be in New York competing in a zone meet and attempting to meet the compulsory qualifying scores needed to become a senior international elite gymnast.
``I have mixed emotions,'' she said. ``But I was kind of expecting it. I've known all year I was going to this meet.''
Pendleton also won individual titles on the balance beam with a 9.55, on uneven bars with a 9.7 and in vaulting with a 9.55. Her 9.4 was second on the floor event, which was won by Great Bridge's Darden Wilee.
Wilee finished third in the all-around competition behind Deep Creek's Melissa Suter. Suter had 37.375 points to Wilee's 37.025. Suter was second on balance beam, tied for second in vaulting, and was third on uneven bars and floor.
Great Bridge's Jennifer Newman also qualified for the region all-around competition by finishing fourth. Hickory's Adrienne Barlow also made the 35.0 cut by scoring 35.175. The top eight finishers in each individual event also advance. ILLUSTRATION: GARY C. KNAPP
Erin Pendleton won individual titles on the balance beam (9.55),
uneven bars (9.7) and vault (9.55) Wednesday in the Southeastern
District meet.