Bower takes third title

Loveland junior wins all-around; Bear Creek is tops

Scott Stocker, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 3, 2007 at midnight

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THORNTON - Loveland’s Hannah Bower took a giant leap into Colorado gymnastics history at the Class 5A state meet Friday at Thornton High School.

Bower, a junior, became the first gymnast from the highest classification to win three consecutive state all-around titles.

She scored a winning 38.95 to edge Thompson Valley’s Gentry Knaub and Pine Creek’s Kristin Milardo, who both were credited with 38.5. Second place went to Knaub according to tiebreaker rules, thus making it a 1-2 event for Loveland schools.

The only other gymnast to win three consecutive all-around titles was Marilyn Price of Steamboat Springs (1976-1978) in what is now Class 4A.

Bower knew the competition was going to be intense, since the field was filled with four other 2006 Rocky Mountain News All-Colorado team members.

Green Mountain’s Kelly Stone finished fourth (38.45), Bear Creek Aditi Kulkarni was fifth (38.375) and 2006 state runner-up Michelle Tharp of Fort Collins was sixth (38.225). Kulkarni is the only one from the elite squad last year to not have been selected All-Colorado.

Top-ranked Bear Creek rolled right from the beginning to win the team title. The Bears opened with a team-best 46.575 on floor exercise, then tallied 46.075 on vault and never were threatened, scoring 184. Defending state champion Green Mountain was second, with 182.4, and Broomfield finished third, with 181.1.

Bower had the two most difficult events, the uneven bars and balance beam, as her first two rotations. She scored 9.65 on the beam and 9.775 on the uneven bars, getting off to a solid start with a 19.425 at the break. Tharp, though, was not far off the pace, scoring 9.725 on floor and 9.6 on her vault for a 19.325.

Tharp lost her opportunity to pull out the all-around win, though, when she fell on the balance beam, her first event after the intermission. Bower than pulled away from the competition, scoring 9.75 on floor and capping her effort with a 9.775 on vault.

"This is just an amazing feeling, that I was able to do this," Bower said. "Especially after dropping from club and to be able to keep my skills up all season.

"What is cool about Gentry is that she had just been diagnosed with diabetes, and for her to make a comeback like this is great. She was having a difficult time this summer and really trying hard.

"And, it kind of calmed my nerves when Michelle fell," Bower said. "I wanted to win with everyone hitting four-for-four. I wanted it to be close for all of us."

Loveland coach Wendy Thompson knew the meet was in Bower’s hands when she stuck her vault, her final event.

"Yet it really comes down to who sticks beam," Thompson said "I was confident after beam, which was first, that she was going to doing well and be able to pull off the rest of the meet. Hannah has struggled on beam and I know she was nervous going in."

Knaub, who was third in the all-around last season, scored 9.65 on bars, 9.765 on floor, 7.6 on vault then finished the evening with 9.625 on the beam. She was diagnosed with diabetes last January, but which was traced back to last season in gymnastics. When the season started, she was not sure she would be able to make it through.

"It was a good meet for me and I did hit four-for-four," Knaub said. "It felt great. All of us are friends and we just butted heads. It has been a battle with the diabetes, but I think I’ve done well to keep it under control right now."

Milardo, the defending state champion on the uneven bars, felt she had a good shot at the title.

"I was pretty pleased, though, with how the night went," Milardo said. "I was sick last night and not even sure if I would be able to get through the competition. When we got started I was feeling better. Now, we will see how it goes today."

Kulkarni was elated with the team win, especially since all previous coaches in Bear Creek’s gymnastics history were on hand to watch. And, Bear Creek coach Michelle Chalkey could not have agreed more.

"It was such a big year for us as we have eight seniors, six on varsity," said Kulkarni, who had her best individual night on floor with 9.65. "When we were finished with bars, we knew we had put it all together. We knew coming in here was going to be great competition and that we had to hit as a team."

Nicole Erpelding and Mallory Poplaski finished 12th and 13th, respectively, in the all-around helping Bear Creek to win the schools 10th team title since the sport was sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association in 1974.

"For me, Bear Creek gymnastics is all about tradition and we had all the coaches here tonight," Chalkey said. "It is so good to bring a state championship back to Bear Creek. There was a different pressure from being up on top all year long, but it was a fun place to be.

"Aditi has really excelled for us this year," Chalkey said. But I’m so proud of all of them. It was a team win from the start. This is awesome."

Awesome for Bear Creek, but upsetting for Stone and her Green Mountain teammates.

"Individually I was pleased with the way the night went," said Stone, the defending state vault champion. "I just wish it would have been better for everyone else. Now, we’ll just see how it goes in the individual finals."

Team scores - Bear Creek 184; Green Mountain 182.4; Broomfield 181.1; Overland 179.65; Chatfield 179.4; Fort Collins 177.75; Ponderosa 177.25; Doherty 175.75; Arvada West 175.7; Loveland 175.325; Pine Creek 174.725; Rampart 173.1.

All-around - 1. Hannah Bower, Loveland, 38.95. 2. Gentry Knaub, Thompson Valley, 38.5 * on tie-breaker. 3. Kristin Milardo, Pine Creek, 38.5. 4. Kelly Stone, Green Mountain, 38.45. 5. Aditi Kulkarni, Bear Creek, 38.375. 6. Michelle Tharp, Fort Collins, 38.225.

stockers@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5275.

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