THORNTON – For a program like Niwot gymnastics, each team’s goal is to be hoisting a trophy at the end of the season.
That didn’t turn out to be the case for this year’s Cougars, who placed fourth in the team competition during the Class 4A state championships on Friday at Thornton High School. But what the Cougars did accomplish was to post their highest combined team score of the season, a 178.775.
“That’s our highest score of the season, so we can walk away knowing we did our best,” Cougars head coach Marisa Purcell said. “Walking away knowing we had our best score of the season is all you can do. You always want to do better and you always wish you could be up in that first or second spot. But, we know we did our best and I’m proud of the girls.”
Niwot has finished as either the winner or runner-up five times since 2015 and the Cougars placed third last year. On Friday, the regional champions won the balance beam with a score of 44.925.
Lilly O’Neill was Niwot’s highest finisher in the all-around competition. She placed fifth with a combined four-event score of 36.450. Her best event was the balance beam, in which she scored a 9.325 to place third.
“I’m just really happy that I did all my events like I know how to do them,” said O’Neill, who also placed ninth on the bars with a score of 9.1. “I just did them like I did them in practice. I didn’t overthink it and I just did what I know I can do and that was the result.”
The Cougars have won six state titles in their program’s history, which ties them for fifth most all-time.
Niwot’s Heidi Herbert, who placed fourth on the beam with a score of 9.325, finished 13th in the all-around competition with a score of 35.900. Maeve Flentie, who placed eighth on the beam, scored a 35.800 to finish 14th in the all-around.
Kylee Schlepp placed fourth in the vault with a score of 9.425.
The Cougars will have plenty more chances to take home some hardware during the individual finals on Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. The top eight placers from Friday’s event qualified for the finals.
