RV gymnasts help Pomona win State Title

Five RV student-athletes part of record-breaking team

The+Pomona+Panthers+gymnastics+team%2C+with+five+RV+members%2C+shattered+the+state+record+to+win+the+2015+Class+5A+State+Gymnastics+Championship

Photo courtesy of www.chsaanow.com

The Pomona Panthers gymnastics team, with five RV members, shattered the state record to win the 2015 Class 5A State Gymnastics Championship

Kiki Grimes, Staff Writer

We all know that Pomona high school has a great football team.

But did you know that they also have a great gymnastics team? Even a record-setting gymnastics team?

Having no gymnastics team at Ralston Valley, students who are interested in this sport are required to join other high schools team. These students include some of our very own Mustangs such as Hadley Hageman, Katie Olson, Tessa Petersell, Tessa Dine, and Rachel Zoran. Freshman Paige Larington also serves as the team’s manager.

The team has won numerous league championships and has come thisclose to winning state in recent years.

Two weeks ago, on Friday, November 6, at the Class 5A state gymnastics meet at Thornton High School, the Panthers left nothing to gamble as they crushed all competitors and even the all-classification Colorado record with a shocking 190.025 point total to win the Class 5A State Gymnastics Championship.

The previous all-time best was set back in 1998 by Cherry Creek with 189.775 total points.

To say these girls were happy about the win is an understatement. They were not just happy, but ecstatic.

“It felt like the whole world stopped,” Olson said about winning state.

Similarly, Zoran was overwhelmed with the victory.

“I was beyond happy when we (Pomona) beat the state record,” Zoran said.

Not only was the team as a whole very successful, but each individual member dominated in every event of the competition, and several were able to place in each of these events.

Kelsey Boychuk was the overall champion of the entire meet. The Panthers also had the runner-up in Brooke Weins, and third place finisher in Alyssa Minyard.

With that type of top end talent on the same team, it’s no wonder Pomona was able to become the first-ever team to score over 190 points.