Puyallup’s Jacobsen takes district all-around title
Kate Jacobsen ruled the day at the Class 4A West Central District III gymnastics meet Saturday at Mount Rainier High.
After starting with a scheduling mix-up and facing her toughest competition to date, the Puyallup High senior took first place in the all-around at districts with a score of 38.050, ahead of Olympia’s Makayla Waggoner (37.475).
I don’t know if she was the first in school history to win a district championship, but she was the first girl I coached.
Puyallup gymnastics coach Dorinda Carpenter
“It just goes back to practice this week. I practiced so hard, and I hit as many achievements as I could, so going into the meet, I knew I was ready,” Jacobsen said.
Jacobsen’s strong day had her place first in uneven bars (9.5) and balance beam (9.7), while she placed second in floor exercise (9.575) and seventh in vault (9.275), but it was her all-around score that left the biggest impression as she heads into into the 4A state meet Friday at the Exhibition Hall at the Tacoma Dome.
“Reaching a 38 in all-around is really hard to do, and it means she’s put in a lot of work and effort to get to where she is,” Puyallup coach Dorinda Carpenter said. “She’s at her best right now.”
Jacobsen is the first gymnast in Carpenter’s 15 years with Puyallup to win the all-around district championship. She will compete against Tahoma’s Tenley Mjelde and Kentlake’s Cassie Padilla for the 4A state title this weekend.
“I don’t know if she was the first in school history, but she was the first girl I coached,” Carpenter added.
Last year’s Class 4A all-around champion, Mead’s Jenna Schlosser, scored a 38.100 to win the state title, and runner-up Marisa Savage of Woodinville scored a 37.925, meaning Jacobsen’s district score is a good indicator of where the Vikings senior stands compared to past results.
Puyallup just missed out on making it to state as a team, finishing third (171.050) behind first-place Olympia (175.830) and second-place Mount Rainier (171.725).
I’m just going to do what I’ve been doing. Try really sell my routine, and try to stand out from the crowd because there is a lot of good competition at state.
Puyallup senior Kate Jacobsen
What’s controllable
But it’s a new state tournament that Jacobsen is facing, one she envisioned months ago talking about what it took to be an all-around performer.
Back then she said it was about going into these events without that fear of failure haunting the back of your mind: “You’re going to fail or fall even at times. It’s about not letting something from another event distract you from the one you’re on. It’s unpredictable at times and sometimes out of your control.”
Whenever a gymnast enters a meet, it’s about getting into a routine, generating a mental schedule between one event to the next.
It’s about getting control of the only aspect of these events that can be controlled. So when the schedule was flipped, moving the floor exercise from last to first, Jacobsen didn’t blink despite starting with the tiring event.
“I guess just knowing that this is my last year, and that I only had one more shot at making it to state and doing well at state,” she said. “It’s really kept me going since this is my last shot … I wanted to end my gymnastics career with a bang.”
Now the biggest achievement is within her grasp.
“I’m just going to do what I’ve been doing. Try really sell my routine, and try to stand out from the crowd because there is a lot of good competition at state,” Jacobsen said. “I’m definitely just going to try and hit my routine and no to little mistakes just like at districts.
Other gymnasts headed to state
Puyallup has three seniors heading to state, as Jacobsen will be joined by teammates Selina Fragoso (bars and beam) and Natalie Crouch (beam).
Emerald Ridge will send three to state: Kelly Richardson (vault, bars and beam), Brinlyn Herbert (vault and floor) and Olivia Williams (vault).
Alyssa Natsiopoulos is Rogers’ lone representative, and she’ll compete in both beam and floor events.
Both Sumner and Bonney Lake are sending a nice collection of gymnasts to compete in the 1A/2A/3A state meet. Sumner is sending Emi Bacha (vault, bars and floor), Emma Potts (vault, bars, beam and floor), Lindsey Hatch (vault), Amy Wedvik (bars) and Jenna Eagle (floor).
Bonney Lake is sending Nikole Otto (vault, bars, beam and floor), Hailey Taylor (vault, bars and floor) and Lauren Waters (vault, bars, beam and floor).
Kevin Manning: 253-256-7042, @herald_kmanning
This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Puyallup’s Jacobsen takes district all-around title."