GYMNASTICS – ON TO STATE: Ruswick tops SHS qualifiers

Published 2:52 pm Monday, February 14, 2011

Six local athletes – four from Sumner High and two from Bonney Lake – qualified for the state 2A/3A gymnastics meet.

The season finale takes place Friday and Saturday in the Tacoma Dome exhibit hall and will bring together prep gymnasts from throughout the state.

The Spartan and Panther representatives earned their state berths at Friday’s West Central District meet at Auburn Mountainview. The WCD meet determined the three teams and four all-around performers headed to state, plus the top 12 remaining gymnasts in each event.

Heading to state from Sumner High are Aja Ruswick, Dayna Devereaux, Kimi Nakayama and Sierra Tinsley. Ruswick was the top performer, qualifying for a state trip in all four events, including a seventh-place showing in the floor exercise. Devereaux qualified in the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise. Nakayama made it in both the bars and floor exercise and Tinsley qualified in the bars and beam.

Bonney Lake gymnasts earning state berths were Kelsey Wells-Henderson and Kaisee Spencer.

Wells-Henderson will participate in the vault, bars and beam. Spencer qualified on the balance beam.