Class 4A: Gymnasts even the stakes in individual competition

TACOMA — On Friday, the state 4A team gymnastics championship ended in a photo finish.

Yesterday's individual competition proved to be an evenly matched affair and, for the first time since 1993, four different gymnasts won individual state titles in four events.

Sumner sophomore Brianna Schwartz, the all-around champ in Friday's team competition, placed first yesterday in floor exercise at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall. She added top-four finishes in the three other events to produce the day's best overall performance.

Redmond freshman Dani Okerlund won the vault (9.65), Auburn senior Brianna Thomas took first on beam (9.7) and junior Lauren Webb of Federal Way won bars (9.725).

Less than 0.7 of a point separated the top three schools in Friday's team competition, won by Inglemoor. The fifth-place school, Woodinville, trailed Inglemoor by just 1.55 points.

Thomas had placed first on vault and bars on Friday. Schwartz posted a 9.7 on floor on Friday and bumped her score to 9.75 yesterday.

"There was less pressure today than yesterday," Schwartz said. "You're actually more in the spotlight today, but I felt calm. My team was awesome yesterday, and today I had fun. I worked my hardest and had a blast."

Schwartz connected on a challenging move in her opening tumbling pass, a one-and-a-half punch front.

"That felt good," she said. "When you get off to a good start, it helps the rest of your routine go well."

Thomas put up her 9.7 on beam during a sequence of four impressive routines started by Woodinville's Brittany Billmaier, who posted a 9.575.

Schwartz followed with a 9.65 and, followed by the 9.7 by Thomas, and Webb, who earned a 9.6.

"When I was up there I was telling myself that I could do this. I know that I have a good routine and could win," Thomas said. "It helped me not keep everyone else's routine in mind."

Webb, who trains on the same club team as Schwartz, was slightly bedazzled by her performance on bars.

"I wasn't expecting that good of an outcome on bars," said Webb, who placed second in the event. "I was happy with the way it turned out."

Billmaier, the defending 4A beam champion, was the all-around favorite until she aggravated a shoulder injury on bars in last week's district event. Still, she placed first on the beam Friday and fourth yesterday.

She said yesterday that she expects to undergo surgery soon to repair a detached left biceps tendon, a damaged rotator cuff and a partially torn labrum.

"There's nothing in my shoulder right now that's in place," she said.