The Los Alamos School of Gymnastics Diamond team of Brianna Fryer, Sara Gardner and Megan Brown took first place in the USA Gymnastics Xcel New Mexico State Championships last weekend. Photo Courtesy LASG
LASG Diamond gymnasts Brianna Fryer, Sara Gardner and Megan Brown have qualified for the USA Gymnastics Region 3 Championships in San Antonio in May. Photo Courtesy :LASG
BY LOUI JANECKY
LASG
Los Alamos School of Gymnastics (LASG) dominated the upper level division this past weekend in the USA Gymnastics Xcel New Mexico State Championships, at Sandia Prep in Albuquerque.
In Diamond, the highest division of competition, they won the first place Team Award. Farmington Gymnastics was second and Albuquerque Gymnastics School was third. Team scores are figured by the three highest scores on each event, from each team. Los Alamos fielded only three gymnasts, as compared to as many as seven from other teams, so every score counted. All three of LASG Diamond gymnasts qualified to USA Gymnastics Region 3 Championships in San Antonio in May.
Brianna Fryer, a graduating senior for LASG, took first place all around in her final instate meet, scoring 36.525. Fryer also took first place on her favorite event – uneven bars. She won the gold with a 9.25 by nailing her free hip to handstand on low bar, and another one into her giant swing circles on high bar. On floor exercise she also took the gold medal by scoring a 9.60, with her front handspring into the highest front layout she has ever done, and a perfect double turn. Freyer also took the gold on the balance beam – despite a fall after the completion of her aerial cartwheel. Her back walkover series was flawless and her leaps and jumps showed impressive height. Her score of 8.65 was the highest. On the vault she took the silver medal with a 9.05 on her yerchenko half twist timer.
Team mate, LASG junior, Sara Gardner brought home the gold medal for vault. She scored a 9.30 for her half twist on, full twist off. Gardner also won the silver medal on beam (8.75), and the bronze medal on floor (9.35). She was second in the all around with 35.925.
Megan Brown competed in the younger division of Diamond. Brown finished second all around with 35.675. She won the gold medal on bars (9.275) and on beam (8.55). Her vault of 8.75 was good enough for the bronze medal.
Aria Warner, also a graduating senior, took the all around bronze medal in the older Platinum division with 35.95. Warner took the gold medal on vault with her half twist on, half twist off by scoring a 9.30. She also won the gold medal on beam with a 9.40, as one of the few to stick beam that day. She qualified to the USA Gymnastics Region 3 Platinum Championships, but is not going. It was a great end to her 9 year gymnastics career at LASG.