Third Place is the Charm, Even for the Third Straight Time

Owatonna sophomore Lindsay Bangs took third place honors in the all-around (38.125) at the state gymnastics individual meet on Saturday at the Maturi Sports Pavilion at the University of Minnesota. That came a day after the Huskies captured third place in the team standings for the third straight year.

Bangs finished second in the balance beam competition (9.55) and was fourth on the bars (9.625). Huskies' senior Ali An finished sixth on the beam (9.475) and was 12th in the all-around competition (37.6).

Bangs scored 9.5 on the vault and 9.45 on the floor exercise. Entering state she specifically referred to beam and bars, "They can be inconsistent. So I just have to remember to be confident and know that I'm doing what I know how to do."

An scored 9.4 on vault, 9.525 on the uneven bars and 9.2 on the floor exercise. Leading into the state meet, she said being at state previous years helps to a certain degree, "It does make it easier but you still get as nervous as before." She said the most fun aspect of the trip to state is, "being with the team, spending time with them."

Sophomore Chaney Neu of Champlin Park hit a perfect 10 on the vault, the first such score in the history of the state meet. Neu won each event to repeat as the all-around champion. See the full individual scoreboard from the Minnesota State High School League.

In reaction to the Huskies' third-place finish in Friday's team event, coach Tom Smith said, "You come back with some hardware. We had the best meet of our life. Could it have been better? Yeah. But to finish third in a state where only the top eight teams can come here and compete...to score 147.575 and come out with third place medals I couldn't be prouder."