State gymnastics: Union’s Carly Christ places third in beam

BELLEVUE – Two years, two different events and two top-three finishes.

Union sophomore Carly Christ has made a habit of performing well at the Class 4A state gymnastics championships.

Friday, Christ placed third in the beam during the individual event finals at Sammamish High School. That comes after a second-place finish in the vault last year.

Though Christ said vault is her favorite event, she showed the composure to succeed on the longer beam routine rather than the quick kinetic burst of the vault.

“It’s so much more focused,” Christ said. “I get to kind of like turn my brain off. The more you don’t think, the easier it is.”

Christ had one dicey moment when she nearly fell, but she saved it and continued with her otherwise smooth routine. Her final score of 8.925 was behind only Federal Way’s Joseline Abundis (9.600) and Puyallup’s Rylee Evans (9.275).

A gymnast since her childhood, Christ took a break from the sport during COVID. She’s glad she came back.

“I’m super happy my mom convinced me to do it in high school because it’s so much fun,” Christ said.

Union’s Ella Bettineski was the lone other local 4A gymnast to earn one of eight individual event qualifying spots during Thursday’s all-around competition. The senior placed eighth in the uneven bars with a score of 8.750.

Hockinson’s Racanelli top local placer in 3A/2A/1A all-around

Hockinson’s Celia Racanelli was the top local finisher in the all-around competition at the 3A/2A/1A state championships on Friday. The district champion placed 13th out of 145 gymnasts with a score of 35.225.

acanelli qualified among the top 16 for three of Saturday’s individual event finals. She will compete in the vault, bars and beam.

Prairie was seventh out of eight team qualifiers.

CLASS 4A STATE GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Sammamish High School, Bellevue

Friday’s event finals

(Top three and locals)

VAULT – 1, Joseline Abundis (Federal Way) 9.675; 2, Gabi Steiner (Sumner) 9.475; 3, Rylee Evans (Puyallup) 9.450.

BARS – 1, Gabi Steiner (Sumner) 9.625; 2, Emily Brouwers (Woodinville) 9.550; 3, Hannah Steiner (Sumner) 9.475; 8, Ella Bettineski (Union) 8.750.

BEAM – 1, Joseliune Abundis (Federal Way) 9.600; 2, Rylee Evans (Puyallup) 9.275; 3, Carly Christ (Union) 8.925.

FLOOR – 1, Emilyu Brouwers (Woodinville) 9.500; 2-t, Joseline Abundis (Federal Way) 9.475; 2-t, Madisen Sorensen (Sumner) 9.475.