Gymnastics: Mayer happy with team's performance at invite

Red Wing posted eight season-best scores and finished fourth at the Hudson invitational with a total of 122.375 points Saturday.

The Wingers were competing without both senior Kirsten Bluhm and eighth-grader Carlie Sandstrom because of injuries.

"We had one senior and eighth- and ninth-graders," Red Wing coach Beth Mayer said. "You always like a higher team score, but we are really pleased with what they're doing."

Eighth-grader Kassidy Coplan led Red Wing in all four events. Her all-around score of 33.125 was a season best and good for third place.

She took second on the balance beam with an 8.475 and fifth on the uneven bars with a season-best score of 8.1. On the vault she recoded an 8.35 and on the floor exercise she posted an 8.2.

"She's very consistent for us," Mayer said. "She handles the pressure very well. She knows what she needs to do to be successful in her events and that's where her focus is."

A list of Red Wing's other season-best scores follows:

• senior Karina Buczko, uneven bars, 7.6

• freshman Jess Kolsky, uneven bars, 7.5

• freshman Kaleigh Owens, uneven bars, 6.5 (didn't factor into team total)

• team total, uneven bars, 30.25

• freshman Molly Hart, all-around competition, 30.125

• Hart, balance beam, 7.2

The host school won the seven-team tournament at Willow River Elementary School with a score of 133.65.

The Wingers are back in action Monday when they play host to Farmington at the Red Wing Area Gymnastics Center.

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