There is a new school on top of the Class A gymnastics field.

Estelline/Hendricks captured its first state team championship Friday night at Golden Eagles Arena. It marks the first time since 1994 that either Madison or Deuel has not won the team crown.

“We just wanted to come out and have fun,” said Estelline-Hendricks coach Sherri Johnson, “and just do our best.”

The title came down to the wire and the Redhawks came up big on the bars to help secure the win and finish with 138.917 team points. Johnson said she had no idea where her squad was at in the team standings heading into its final rotation.

“I knew we had a shot, but there were a lot of good teams,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know if it was close, not close. I saw one routine the whole day besides our own.”

While Johnson was unaware of where the Redhawks were at in points, junior Kenzy Beare knew what was at stake.

“We were very nervous,” Beare said. “We knew we could either be three or one. We thought it was going to be a nail-biter.”

The Redhawks ended up with four personal best efforts on the day, including two by standout Sadie Johnson, to help soar to the team championship.

“It’s awesome. It’s a feeling that you can’t even describe,” Beare said of the team title. “It’s been a good day and I can’t wait for (Saturday).”

Chamberlain finished runner-up in team points. Deuel was fifth and Britton-Hecla sixth.

The opening day featured plenty of competition on all of the apparatus.

“It was very intense and there was a lot of good gymnastics,” said Britton-Hecla senior Maggie Kilker. “It was really fun to watch and compete at the same time.”

There was a large contingent of Britton-Hecla fans in the crowd cheering on the Braves. That is nothing new, according to Kilker.

“We have always had a good support system,” she said, “and they bring a lot of energy to us.”

Kilker was pleased with the way the Braves performed during the team competition portion of the meet.

“I think today went pretty well,” Kilker said. “I’m really proud that we brought some medals home, so that was really fun.”

Deuel, a perennial power, features a young squad this season, so the Cardinals were looking to keep improving on their routines.

“Our goal as a team today was just go out and do the best that we could,” said sophomore MaKia Moe. “We know we had a new team, so our goal was to go and hit the routines that we knew we could and do what we have been doing all season, but improve on what we were doing.”

Moe has become a team leader in her first season on the varsity. She said there will probably be a little more pressure on her during today’s individual competition than there was on Friday.

“As a team, every routine you’re doing, you’re thinking about how can I make this better for my team,” Moe said, “so that we can go out there and do the best that we can.”

While Moe will be focused on her own routines today, she plans on helping her teammates and knows that they will be there to support her as well.

“My goal as an individual (Saturday) is just to hit my routines and do the best that I can,” Moe said. “I’ve worked hard all season and this isn’t an easy sport. My goal is to just to have fun, and go out there and do what I can.”

The Class AA team championship came down to the end before Mitchell vaulted its way back to the title.

The Kernels, who won the title two years ago, were locked in a tight three-team battle with O’Gorman and Harrisburg before having a big effort on the vault, their last rotation of the day to finish with 148.550 team points.

“We knew it was tight. We knew the top three, it was going to be a fight all the way through the meet, and so we really just tried to do what we do,” said Mitchell coach Audra Rew. “There’s no defense in gymnastics.”

It just so happened that the vault took place right in front of a large and loud group of Mitchell supporters, which seemed to energize the Kernels.

“You need the fans to be loud on floor and vault,” Rew said, “because those kids are tired and it gives them that little boost of adrenaline. It was awesome.”

The state championship was a fitting finish for senior Emily Moody, who has been on the varsity for the past six seasons.

“I came into the program my first year as a seventh-grader. I had the opportunity to compete vault and we won that first year,” Moody said. “That was just an amazing feeling to be part of something so great, so we wanted to put a bookend on our book and we got it done. It’s just an amazing feeling.”

Moody said it takes a total team effort to win a state team championship.

“It truly takes everyone. We couldn’t have done it without everyone,” Moody said. “We said that in our team meeting before we came out for awards, each and every person, if you did one event, four events, if you didn’t do any, we needed every single person to help move mats, everything. It just takes the whole team.”

The individual portion of the state meet takes place today.

To see Class AA team scores from Friday, click on the following link:

https://www.scoreflippers.com/insight/Meet_Scores_Simple.aspx?MeetID=24595

To see Class A team scores from Friday, click on the following link:

https://www.scoreflippers.com/insight/Meet_Scores_Simple.aspx?MeetID=24588