Camas, McGee rule at state gymnastics

BELLEVUE — The Camas gymnastics team performed its way into rarefied air on Friday evening.

The Papermakers posted the third-highest team score in WIAA history, 184.895, and brought home its second consecutive 4A gymnastics state championship at Sammamish High School.

In the second team title in program history, Camas scored the most any team has scored since Sehome posted a 185.450 in 1993. Woodinville, which Camas beat by just under five points on Friday, holds the state record with 187.375.

“This is probably the strongest meet that we’ve ever had as a whole collective and a lot of girls have had their best meet here,” McGee said. “It’s good to have that at state and not another meet.”

Camas sophomore Shea McGee finished first in the all-around with a score of 38.175 across four events, a year after finishing in second place as a freshman.

Two other Camas gymnasts medaled in the all-around — sophomore Alyssa Shibata (36.925, sixth) and freshman Peyton Cody (36.850, tied-eighth) — and many more placed in the top-16 in an individual event to advance to the final Saturday morning.

McGee finished first in the vault with a 9.750 in the team’s last event of the day. When the scoreboard lit up with McGee’s mark, the Papermakers jumped and embraced each other. Though there was another session to be played, and statewide powerhouse Woodinville was among that field, the Papermakers knew their score would carry them through to a repeat.

And they were right.

Coach Carol Willson told her assistant coach Tricia Hoppa at the beginning of the season she felt this team could score 184 in a meet. In over 20 years of coaching, Willson had never coached a team that had reached such a high mark.

She knew to hit it would require near perfection.

On Friday, that’s what Willson got. The Papermakers saw each gymnast execute a routine without a single fall.

“We hit 24 of 24,” Willson said. “Every routine. Six on each event, we hit every routine, no falls. Not one.”

It was the top mark of the season for a deep Papermaker squad that reached 180 on its best days throughout the season. At districts, some of the gymnasts thought they’d reached their pinnacle with a performance that only saw one fall across the entire team.

Friday proved that wrong.

“We are so on top of it. Best all-around (McGee’s) ever had,” Willson said. “(Sophomore) Lili Ford, oh my god, she’s never hit every event. Alyssa (Shibata), Peyton (Cody), everything. All four of them hit everything. All the kids did. But those four, man, they were on.”

In 2018, Camas became the first 4A team from Southwest Washington to win a state title (Columbia River won the 3A title in 2009).

Now Willson, who saw her state title team of 19 increase to 40 gymnasts this season, mostly underclassmen, is thinking forward.

“And we’ll be even stronger next year,” Willson said.

4A STATE GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Sammamish High School, Bellevue
TEAM SCORES — 1, Camas 184.825; 2, Woodinville 179.850; 3, Newport 176.200; 4, Mead 172.450.
ALL-AROUND (final)—1, Shea McGee (Camas) 38.175; 2, Rylye Anderson (Puyallup) 37.700; 3, Ellie Mann (Woodinville) 37.450; 4, Ashley Yang (Kentwood) 37.250; 5, Hailey Kunimura (Auburn Riverside) 37.025; 6, Alyssa Shibata (Camas) 36.925; 7, Cecelia Loudermilk (Kentlake) 36.900; T8 Maddie LoMauro (Newport) 36.850; T8, Peyton Cody (Camas) 36.850.

Event scores (top-16 advance)
VAULT—1, Shea McGee (Camas) 9.750; 2, Ashley Yang (Kentwood) 9.525; 3, Maddie LoMauro (Newport) 9.500; T4, Rylye Anderson (Puyallup) 9.475; T4, Ellie Mann (Woodinville) 9.475; T4, Lili Ford (Camas) 9.475; 7, Emma Rochleau (Tahoma) 9.450; 8, Emily Yang (Kentwood) 9.400. Other locals: T15, Kayja Jacques (Union) 9.200; 21, Peyton Cody (Camas) 9.125; 26, Anna Sugarman (Skyview) 9.050; T27, Alyssa Shibata (Camas) 9.000; 30, Olivia Chou (Skyview) 8.925; 31, Joy Marsh (Camas) 8.900; T33, Neely Simone (Union) 8.800; 44, Madison Martin (Camas) 8.725; 91, Mackenzie Ridgway (Union) 7.800; 94, Alyssa Powell (Union) 7.550.

BEAM—1, Alyssa Shibata (Camas) 9.500; T2, Ellie Mann (Woodinville) 9.475; T2, Allina Hebling (University) 9.475; 4, Shea McGee (Camas) 9.450; 5, Hailey Kunimura (Auburn Riverside) 9.400; 6, Alyssa Hatch (Auburn Riverside) 9.250; 7, Rylye Anderson (Puyallup) 9.300; 8, Emma O’Toole (Rogers) 9.275. Other locals: 9, Mackenzie Ridgway (Union) 9.225; T12, Lili Ford (Camas) 9.175; T19, Peyton Cody (Camas) 9.050; T19, Morgan MacIntyre (Camas) 9.050; T22, Madison Martin (Camas) 9.000; T24, Kayja Jacques (Union)8.975; T51, Madison Schalk (Union) 8.525; T88, Riley LeCocq (Skyview)7.500; 93, Madison Summers (Skyview) 7.150.

FLOOR—1, Alyssa Hatch (Auburn Riv.) 9.650; 2, Samena Tate (Auburn Riv.) 9.625; 3, Ashley Yang (Kentwood) 9.600; T4, Shea McGee (Camas) 9.575; T4, Rylye Anderson (Puyallup) 9.575; T4, Ariana Martinez (Auburn Mountainview) 9.575; T4, Salina Mayanja (Bothell) 9.575; T4, Sophia Shawen (Mead) 9.575. Other locals: T16, Lili Ford (Camas) 9.425; T19, Mackenzie Ridgway (Union) 9.400; T24, Alyssa Shibata (Camas) 9.375; T28, Peyton Cody (Camas) 9.350; T28, Anna Sugarman (Skyview) 9.350; T35, Lizzy Wing (Camas) 9.300; T60, Kayja Jacques (Union) 9.075; T65, Joy Marsh (Camas) 9.000; 73, Madison Schalk (Union) 8.925; T86, Olivia Chou (Skyview) 8.350; 89, Riley LeCocq (Skyview) 8.300.

BARS—1, Cora Taylor (Bothell) 9.500; 2, Shea McGee (Camas) 9.400; 3, Anna Sugarman (Skyview) 9.375; 4, Rylye Anderson (Puyallup) 9.350; 5, Peyton Cody (Camas) 9.325; 6, Cecelia Loudermilk (Kentlake) 9.250; T7, Hailey Kunimura (Auburn Riverside) 9.225; 7T, Alexandria Thomas (Ferris) 9.225. Other locals: T11, Olivia Bane (Camas) 9.075; 14, Alyssa Shibata (Camas) 9.050; 28, Lili Ford (Camas) 8.475; 32, Mackenzie Ridgway (Union) 8.325; T33, Grace Alonzo (Camas) 8.275; 51, Madison Schalk (Union) 7.700; 79, Riley LeCocq (Skyview) 6.650; T80, Kayja Jacques (Union) 6.600.
*locals in bold