Connect with us

Gymnastics

Mertens wins all-around, Central takes second at Britton-Hecla meet

Aberdeen Central’s Regan Lust turns in the air during her floor exercise routine recently at the Hub City Invitational gymnastics meet at Aberdeen Central High School. Lust won the floor exercise during the Britton-Hecla Triangular on Tuesday. Photo by John Davis taken 12/9/2023

BRITTON – Sterling Mertens of Britton-Hecla won her second all-around title in as many meets to help lead Britton-Hecla to the team title at its own gymnastics triangular on Tuesday night.

Aberdeen Central finished runner-up with a team score of 131.050.

“Our goal was to get above 130 and we nailed that,” said Central coach Mickey Everson. “Every meet we change just a little bit more to up their level.”

Britton-Hecla’s Sterling Mertens turns on the top bar during the Class A team competition portion of the South Dakota State Gymnastics Meet last at the Golden Eagles Arena. Mertens won the bar and beam on the way to winning the all-around title at the Britton-Hecla Triangular on Tuesday night. Photo by John Davis taken 2/10/2023

Mertens won the bars and beam, and was second on vault and floor exercise on the way to claiming the all-around title. Mertens, who also won the Milbank Invitational last weekend, finished with a total of 34.600, lead a trio of Britton-Hecla gymnasts at the meet. Abigail Lee was second and Kaegan Fredrickson third for the Braves in the all-around.

Central gymnasts won a pair of events with Addison Everson capturing the vault and Regan Lust taking the floor exercise. Everson finished fourth in all-around.

“We had a really good showing of girls on the awards stand,” Coach Everson said. “This is the point in the season when we start to get tired and worn out. Our gym smells like Biofreeze, but these girls are holding on and putting up some amazing things in spite of how their bodies are feeling.”

The Golden Eagles will now get a break from their busy early-season schedule before returning to action at the start of the new year.

“We will be back at it Jan. 2 with our back to back schedule heading to Pierre twice in that week when they also head back to school,” Coach Everson said. “I know I say it every time, but we still have much more we can do. It’s exciting.”

Team Points: Britton-Hecla 132.950, Aberdeen Central 131.050, Sisseton 120.800.

Vault: 1, Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 8.600; 2, Sterling Mertens, Britton-Hecla, 8.500; 3, (tie) Abigail Lee, Britton-Hecla, 8.450, and Johanna Jarrott, Aberdeen Central, 8.450; 5, Breckan Santjer, Aberdeen Central, 8.350 6, Kaegan Fredrickson, Britton-Hecla, 8.200; 7, (tie) Izzy Metz, Sisseton, 8.150, and McKenna Heer, Britton-Hecla, 8.150; 9, Olivia Deutsch, Sisseton, 7.950; 10, Emma Kraft, Britton-Hecla, 7.900.

Bars: 1, Sterling Mertens, Britton-Hecla, 8.300; 2, Abigail Lee, Briitton-Hecla, 7.800; 3, Izzy Loecker, Aberdeen Central, 7.750; 4, Johanna Jarrott, Aberdeen Central, 7.600; 5, Kaegan Fredrickson, Britton-Hecla, 7.550; 6, Emma Kraft, Britton-Hecla, 7.500; 7, Izzy Metz, Sisseton, 7.450; 8, (tie) Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 7.150, and Kennady Van Lith, Britton-Hecla, 7.150; 10, Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 7.050.

Beam: 1, Sterling Mertens, Britton-Hecla, 8.600; 2, Hattie Gederos, Aberdeen Central, 8.400; 3, Emma Kraft, Britton-Hecla, 8.250; 4, (tie) Kaegan Fredrickson, Britton-Hecla, 8.050, and Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 8.050; 6, Alexis Bomesberger, Aberdeen Central, 7.950; 7, (tie) Abigail Lee, Britton-Hecla, 7.900, Maddy Walberg, Aberdeen Central, 7.900, and Colie Schultz, Sisseton, 7.900; 10, Breckan Santjer, Aberdeen Central, 7.850.

Floor Exercise: 1, Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 9.350; 2, Sterling Mertens, Britton-Hecla, 9.200 3, Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 9.00; 4, Kennady Van Lith, Britton-Hecla, 8.950; 5, Maddy Walberg, Aberdeen Central, 8.900; 6, Kaegan Fredrickson, Britton-Hecla, 8.850; 7, Alexis Bomesberger, Aberdeen Central, 8.800; 8, Abigail Lee, Britton-Hecla, 8.700; 9, Izzy Metz, Sisseton, 8.650; 10, Olivia Deutsch, Sisseton, 8.600.

All-Around: 1, Sterling Mertens, Britton-Hecla, 34.600; 2, Abigail Lee, Britton-Hecla, 32.850; 3, Kaegan Fredrickson, Britton-Hecla, 32.650; 4, Addison Everson, 32.200; 5, Izzy Metz, Sisseton, 31.650; 6, (tie) Kennady Van Lith, Britton-Hecla, 31.350, and Alexis Bomesberger, Aberdeen Central, 31.350; 8, Maddy Walberg, Aberdeen Central, 31.300; 9, Olivia Deutsch, Sisseton, 31.000; 10, Colie Schultz, Sisseton, 29.100.

Purchase a Photo

Browse By Category

Browse By Month

Dacotah Bank

More in Gymnastics