While Aberdeen Central came up short to Pierre in a gymnastics dual on Monday evening, there was still many reasons for the Golden Eagles to celebrate.

For starters, Central scored a season-high in points with 136.550 (Pierre finished with 137.700). The Golden Eagles also recognized four members on Senior Day, and it just happened to be the 50th birthday for Central coach Mickey Everson.

The goal for the day was 136 points, said Everson.

“I’m very proud of how they did. I will take that as a win even though we were like .15 off,” Everson said. “It was still a goal for us, and we hit that goal, so now we have to set a new one.”

Central was led by Regan Lust, who won the beam and the floor exercise on the way to a second-place finish all-around.

When asked which win she was most satisfied with, the sophomore said floor exercise.

“I would say probably floor, just because it’s kind of been rough this season with how much I’ve been falling, how my scores have been,” Lust said, “so I was pretty proud of what I got.”

Lust continues to be a strong competitor on the beam.

“I was just telling myself that I’ve done this event before, and I know that I can stick my routines, because I have before,” Lust said, “so I was just calming myself down, taking it really slow, and just being precise on everything.”

Interestingly enough, it was that event that probably cost the Golden Eagles a shot at winning the dual. Central came up noticeably short of the Governors in that particular apparatus.

“We drill it as much as we can. We put the pressure of we do practices where we make it super quiet, because you have to perform when it’s dead quiet, and it’s awkward,” Everson said, “or when it’s really loud and someone’s floor music blows you out, or cheering. We call it distracting beam day.”

The coach said she has a specific program to help her gymnasts in that single event.

“We try all different kinds of ways to improve their score,” Everson said. “I have an eight-step program that we’ve been working on. Whatever you need to make it just stay on the beam.”

While the Golden Eagles came up short there, they excelled in the floor exercise, their final station of the dual.

Central’s Madelyn Wahlberg was second after Lust, followed by Alexis Bomesberger in third, and Addison Everson tied for sixth.

“The girls always perform well and show that artistry and creativity,” Coach Everson said of the floor exercise. “I just tell them to go out and have fun, and show it off and it will follow.”

The Golden Eagles also had strong performances on the vault where Addison Everson tied for first, Lust was third, and Breckan Santjer was sixth.

Everson, who finished third in all-around, reaggravated an injury, but she battled through.

“Warmups started going pretty good, but then went I went on floor, I was doing a skill, and all of a sudden my hip flexor started really hurting, so I went to a trainer,” Everson said. “He said that I probably did something to it. To get through the day I wrapped it up, put some Bio Freeze on, and I just went on my way, and then the rest of the meet went pretty good.”

The senior said the pain increased as the dual went on, but she was not going to miss her final home competition.

“I knew I had to finish it, especially it’s our last home meet and with Senior Night, I really wanted to finish it out,” Everson said.

Other seniors honored along with her included Amara Klipfel, Izzy Loecker, and Morgan Naasz.

Coach Everson said each senior contributed something during the dual.

“I wanted to make sure all of them got to compete today in some area,” Coach Everson said, “and they were excited, and they showed it when they stood up on their podium.”

Loecker was third on bars, while Walhberg was fourth, and Lust and Everson tied for sixth. Loecker tied for sixth on beam.

Addison Everson talked about her teammates when asked what she will remember most about competing for the Golden Eagles.

“Just mostly being with the team and how close we’ve all been,” she said, “and how amazing our coaches are, and just how connected we all are, almost like a family.”

Lust, the only Central gymnast to earn a top-six place in all four events and also secure a pair of state qualifying marks, said she was surprised of her totals on the way to her career-best all-around mark.

“I didn’t think I was going to do as well as I have been doing,” Lust said, “but today really surprised me how well I did.”

She said it will give her something to build on for the remainder of the season. When asked about her goals, Lust responded, “I’m going to say to just keep being consistent, and having my routines be solid, and being confident.”

Central still had one other item to celebrate, the birthday of Coach Everson, who was decked out in a special birthday sash.

“I am 50, but gymnastics has been a part of my life since day one,” she said, “so this is 50 years of gymnastics and the best place to celebrate is where I always am.”

The Golden Eagles compete in an invitational Saturday in Sioux Falls.

Team Points: Pierre 137.700, Aberdeen Central 136.550.

Vault: 1, (tie) Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 9.000, and Kirsten Korber, Pierre, 9.000; 3, (tie) Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 8.800, Ryen Sheppick, Pierre, 8.800, and Alexis Bomesberger, Aberdeen Central, 8.800; 6, Brecken Santjer, Aberdeen Central, 8.600.

Bars: 1, KaCee Wilson, Pierre, 8.750; 2, Ryan Sheppick, Pierre, 8.500; 3, Isabelle Loecker, Aberdeen Central, 8.300; 4, Madelyn Wahlberg, Aberdeen Central, 8.200; 5, Jaelynn Muldoon, Pierre, 7.950 6, (tie) Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 7.650, and Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 7.650.

Beam: 1, Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 9.150; 2, Ryen Sheppick, Pierre, 9.100; 3, Rebecca Spitzer, Pierre, 8.950; 4, KaCee Wilson, Pierre, 8.800; 5, Jaelynn Muldoon, Pierre, 8.600; 6, (tie) Madelyn Merrill, Pierre, 8.500, and Isabelle Loecker, Aberdeen Central, 8.500.

Floor: 1, Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 9.300; 2, Madelyn Wahlberg, Aberdeen Central, 9.050; 3, Alexis Bomesberger, Aberdeen Central, 8.900; 4, (tie) Ryen Sheppick, Pierre, 8.850, and Jaelyn Muldoon, Pierre, 8.850; 6 (tie) Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 8.800, and Isabel Jirsa, Pierre, 8.800.

All-Around: 1, Ryen Sheppick, Pierre, 35.250; 2, Regan Lust, Aberdeen Central, 34.900; 3, Addison Everson, Aberdeen Central, 33.200; 4, Rebecca Spitzer, Pierre, 33.200; 5, Breckan Santjer, Aberdeen Central, 32.500; 6, Madelyn Wahlberg, Aberdeen Central, 32.450.