Moxley medals on beam for Columbia River

TACOMA — Kenzie Moxley is ahead of her time.

“I definitely thought maybe my upperclassmen years I would have made it to finals,” she said. “To do it my sophomore year is really cool.”

Moxley, a Columbia River gymnast, finished eighth in the Class 3A state finals on the balance beam Saturday afternoon, becoming the lone Clark County athlete to medal at this year’s 4A and 3A championships at the Tacoma Dome’s Exhibition Hall.

“It’s crazy,” she said.

Especially considering her performance during the regular season.

“I was hoping to make it to finals, but as far as how the season went, honestly, no, I didn’t think it would happen,” Moxley said.

Then she nailed her routine Friday — the best score in her career — to qualify for the final 16 athletes in the event.

“No matter what, I was going to be in the top 16 at state,” she reasoned. “So I just figured I might as well go out there and have fun.”

A random draw had her as the final competitor on the beam.

“I was so happy I was the last one. I got to see everybody,” Moxley said. “I didn’t have any nerves because I thought, ‘I know I can do this.’ “

She scored an 8.85 to sneak into eighth.

The top eight placers in the 3A meet earned medals. The top four in the 4A meet made it to the podium to pick up their medals.

Megan Clark of Mountain View just missed out, taking ninth on the uneven bars.

“I just wanted to do my best,” she said. “I did better than yesterday.”

She was the 13th of 17 competitors when she scored an 8.775 to jump into sixth place. But three of the final four athletes scored 9.3 or higher to drop Clark to ninth.

“It’s one of those things you can’t control,” Clark said.

Lindsey Willis of Prairie finished 13th on the bars. Columbia River’s Katie Zink finished 13th on the vault.

In the 4A meet, Nicole Moss of Heritage was the lone Clark County athlete to reach Saturday. She finished sixth on the vault with a 9.525.

Clark County gymnastics fans have been spoiled by success over the years. This was the first time since 2004 that a Clark County gymnast did not win a single event.

Still, for the most part, the athletes who made it to state enjoyed themselves.

“It was a lot of fun being here with my teammates,” Moxley said, a shout-out to Columbia River’s fifth-place finish in the team event on Friday. “I’m glad that we all had fun.”

Moxley hopes for more success in the future, too.

“My senior year, I want to be an All-Around,” she said. “I could only go up from here.”

Class 4A state gymnastics

at Tacoma Dome’s Exhibition Hall

Individual event finals

(Placers and other local finishes)

Vault — 1, Jenna Hayes (Eastlake) 9.725; 2 Marisa Savage (Woodinville) 9.625; 3 (tie) Jenna Schlosser (Mead) and Ava Welch (Mount Rainier) 9.6. Local finisher: 6, Nicole Moss (Heritage) 9.525.

Bars — 1, Marisa Savage (Woodinville) 9.55; 2 (tie) Kate Jacobsen (Puyallup) and Jenna Schlosser (Mead) 9.525; 4, Madeline Thoma (Woodinville) 9.25

Beam — 1, Candace Ho (Newport) 9.450; 2, Jenna Schlosser (Mead) 9.350; 3, Marisa Savage (Woodinville) 9.225; 4, Emily Paratore (Woodinville) 9.175.

Floor — 1, Jenna Schlosser (Mead) 9.5; 2, Candace Ho (Newport) 9.4; 3 (tie), Kate Jacobsen (Puyallup) and Marisa Savage (Woodinville) 9.375.

Class 3A state gymnastics

at Tacoma Dome’s Exhibition Hall

Individual event finals

(Placers and other local finishes)

Vault — 1, Alexis Lawrence (Kamiakin) 9.725; 2, Kiya Bjorge (Southridge) 9.7; 3, Olivia Bannerot (Enumclaw) 9.65; 4 (tie), Kelsey Jaquish (Kamiakin), Elena Fowler (Holy Names), and Anna Paradee (Decatur) 9.575; 7 (tie) Danielle Brandon (Kamiakin) and Keira Lathrop (Capital) 9.55. Local finisher: 13, Katie Zink (Columbia River) 9.1.

Bars — 1, Kiya Bjorge (Southridge) 9.575; 2, Alexis Lawrence (Kamiakin) 9.5; 3, Alaina Pier (Southridge) 9.4; 4, Jenn Rogers (Mount Si) 9.3; 5, Olivia Bannerot (Enumclaw) 9.175; 6, Keira Lathrop (Capital) 9.125; 7, Nykaela Dodson (Sammamish) 9.025; 8, Kayla Lasater (Hanford) 8.975. Local finisher: 9, Megan Clark (Mountain View) 8.775; 13, Lindsey Willis (Prairie) 8.2.

Beam — 1, Nykaela Dodson (Sammamish) 9.425; 2, Kiya Bjorge (Southridge) 9.35: 3, Alexis Lawrence (Kamiakin) 9.325; 4, Olivia Bannerot (Enumclaw) 9.25; 5, Kelsey Jaquish (Kamiakin) 9.075; 6, Chloe Siferos (North Kitsap) 8.825; 7, Sarah Rice (Bainbridge) 8.8; 8, Kenzie Moxley (Columbia River) 8.65.

Floor — 1, Kiya Bjorge (Southridge) 9.625; 2, (tie) Alexis Lawrence (Kamiakin) and Olivia Bannerot (Enumclaw) 9.6; 4, Danielle Brandon (Kamiakin) 9.5; 5, Nykaela Dodson (Sammamish) 9.475; 6, Amara Poquette (Mount Spokane) 9.45; 7, Hannah Walsh (Bellevue) 9.425; 8 (tie), Reigan Kampmann (Mount Spokane) and Jenn Rogers (Mount Si) 9.4.