Madi Williams, Cynenna McCusker add more medals to Camas state gymnastics haul

BELLEVUE – It might have been the Saturday morning coffee. But it was almost certainly standing on the podium that gave Camas gymnasts Cyenna McCusker and Madi Williams such a rush.

After a draining and emotional team competition on Friday, Williams and McCusker returned to the WIAA State Gymnastics Championships in search of more medals.

Williams, a junior who won the 4A all-around state title Friday, placed in the top four in all four individual apparatus events Saturday at Sammamish High School.

McCusker, a senior, ended her high school career with a third-place finish in the balance beam.

Those performances capped off a grueling but successful weekend that saw Camas earn second place in the 4A team competition for the second consecutive year.

“Caffeine helped,” McCusker said. “I think also just knowing it was the final chance of the year just to show everyone what we have and what we’ve been working towards.”

McCusker scored 9.150, behind only the 9.325 of co-champions Kari McCarty of Puyallup and Jordan Begun of Redmond. Williams was fourth with 9.075.

Williams also placed third in the uneven bars (8.775), fourth in the vault (9.425) and fourth in the floor exercise (9.350).

From the pre-arrival team hype session on the bus Friday to standing with four medals around her neck after Saturday’s meet, Williams credited her teammates with elevating her performance.

“We were pretty tired this morning,” Williams said. “But when everybody came in and cheered for us, it picked us up so much.”

Hallie Kempf of Camas competed in two events Saturday. She finished fifth in the floor exercise (9.300) and eighth in the balance beam (8.175).

Union’s Christ second in vault

Union freshman Carly Christ was pursuing something metal and shiny Saturday, but it wasn’t just the second-place medal she won in the vault.

“My mom told me if I placed I could get my belly button pierced,” Christ said. “That was the goal.”

Christ earned the last of eight places in the vault finals with a 9.150 during Friday’s all-around competition. Saturday, she stuck the landing on the second of her two vaults.

That earned her a score of 9.575, behind only the 9.775 by Kari McCarty of Puyallup.

After a first vault that likely wouldn’t have earned a top-four medal, Christ performed her best when the pressure was the highest.

“I just had to stop thinking because I get in my head sometimes,” she said.

After sticking the landing, Christ’s teammates and coaches erupted in cheers and gave her jubilant high-fives.

“My season was good,” she said. “I had a little mess up in regionals so I couldn’t do all four events, but that’s OK.”

GYMNASTICS

WIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Sammamish High School, Bellevue

Saturday’s results

CLASS 4A

Individual apparatus finals

(Top four and locals)

Bars

1, Jordan Begun (Redmond) 9.600; 2, Malia Harada (Skyline) 9.400; 3, Madi Williams (Camas) 8.775; 4, Emily Brouwers (Woodinville) 8.700;

Vault

1, Kari McCarty (Puyallup) 9.775; 2, Carly Christ (Union) 9.575; 3, Madison Sorenson (Sumner) 9.550; 4, Madi Williams (Camas) 9.425.

Beam

T-1, Kari McCarty (Puyallup) 9.325; T-1, Jordan Begun (Redmond) 9.325; 3, Cyenna McCusker (Camas) 9.150; T-4, Madi Williams (Camas) 9.075; Caroline Deyoung (Rogers-Puyallup) 9.075. Also: 8, Hallie Kempf (Camas) 8.175.

Floor

1, Madison Sorenson (Sumner) 9.500; 2, Katie Barker (Woodinville) 9.425; 3, Ava Alastra (Sumner) 9.400; 4, Madi Williams (Camas) 9.350. Also: 5, Hallie Kempf (Camas) 9.300.