Spartans Take 3rd in Gymnastics Sectional; Gymnasts Move to Finals

Kelsey Metz will be making a return trip to the Class AA State Gymnastics Meet as the Richfield senior finished second in the individual all-around, with the Spartans taking third in the team competition at the Section 6AA meet on Saturday at .

Richfield recorded a 129.250 to come in behind section champion Wayzata (137.475) and runner-up Cretin-Derham Hall (132.350) in the final team standings amongst the eight squads competing on the afternoon.

Metz recorded a 35.125 in the all-around to take second behind Wayzata's Maddie Berglund (35.775); fellow Spartan Sarah Tseng came in ninth in the all-around with a 33.1, followed by teammates Courtney Miller (31.175) in 15th, Steph McGinness (29.7) in 22nd and Moriah Greenblat (29.2) in 24th.

In her final home meet, Metz took second on the uneven parallel bars (8.5) and third on floor exercise (8.975), vault (8.65) and balance beam (9.0) en route to her final all-around result.

Her scores mean that Metz will have the opportunity to compete for an individual state berth in all four events at the sectional finals on Wednesday night at Hopkins High School; the top 16 preliminary place-earners will face-off for state qualification beginning at 6:30 p.m. that evening.

Fellow senior Tseng will also compete at that meet after tying Metz for third on vault and claiming 11th on beam (8.4), 12th on bars (7.85) and 15th on floor (8.2).

Greenblat, the third of Richfield's seniors competing at sectionals, qualified for the individuals with a 16th-place result of 8.225 on vault.

Miller, a sophomore, moves on to Wednesday after placing 10th on vault (8.4) and floor (8.425) as does teammate McGinness (8.35), who took 13th on vault (8.35).

Sectional qualifers for state move on to the Class AA meet, scheduled to be held on Feb. 25 and 26 at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion.