Auburn’s Ali Tate stuns field as state’s all-around gymnastics champion

Ali Tate had no idea she’d be contending for a state all-around gymnastics title.

But that sophomore’s got skills.

Auburn was well-represented on the 3A/2A/1A podium as Auburn High School’s Tate became the school’s state all-around champion with a score of 37.225 on Friday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall and Auburn Mountainview’s Kayla Porter tied for fourth with a 36.500.

Tate waited about five hours from when she finished her four exercises in the individual competition until the team competition completed to find out she had edged second-place Elena Fowler of Holy Names, who scored a 37.175.

The all-around combines scores from the balance beam, floor exercise, uneven bars and vault.

“I didn’t expect it, honestly,” Tate said. “Because it’s only my first year competing for high school. But it’s kind of great. It’s kind of surprising.”

She competed for her club last year, choosing not to compete with the school team.

But Auburn coach Kristi Wilson knew exactly what she was getting this year.

“I was so very excited,” Wilson laughed as she remembered back to the beginning of the season when Tate entered the school program. “I thought she would have an absolute chance today. She’s a great athlete.”

Tate competes for the same club as Porter. Porter tied for fourth in the all-around after placing second as a sophomore last year with a 38.050, losing by .075 points to Sammamish’s Nykaela Dodson.

Porter beat Tate for the district title last week with a 38.275 to Tate’s 37.525.

That was before she injured her right foot cheerleading during the Auburn Mountainview boys basketball team’s district semifinal win over Wilson on Wednesday.

Porter was using crutches to move about Friday when she wasn’t competing. But despite obvious pain (she was wearing a walking boot to the winner’s podium), she still tied for third with Tate on the beam — a 9.525 behind Kamiakin freshmen Piper Polanik (9.600) and Abby Winstead (9.575).

“I’m disappointed in my score, but I’m proud of myself for putting out the best that I had,” Porter said. “There’s only so much you can do.

“And it’s a bit more bearable when your best friend is the one who wins.”

Porter said it was so painful Friday that she doesn’t plan to compete in the vault or floor in Saturday’s individual championships (the top 16 in each event advanced to Saturday).

“I was really surprised I made it through everything,” Porter said. She said she was told by a doctor on Thursday that she had bone bruising, sprains and “I couldn’t even pay attention to all of it. There were too many things he said.”

Tate was either first or tied for first in the vault, beam and bars after the individual round. She finished second in the bars to Columbia River’s Sarah Ellis (9.325), 12th in the floor with Ballard’s Clara Yardley taking first (9.55), second in the vault behind Holy Names’ Elena Fowler (9.2) and tied for third in beam.

Kamiakin won its third consecutive team title with 180.475 points to Holy Names’ 174.225 points. Enumclaw placed fourth with 160.475 behind Victoria Hernandez’s sixth-place all-around finish (36.475).

“I’m really proud of them,” first-year Enumclaw coach Regina Chynoweth said of her team’s finish. “They definitely put everything out today that they could.”

Falcons take Class 4A team title

Woodinville ran away with the 4A team title.

The Falcons took first and second place in all four individual events and the all-around competition to set a state meet record (in any classification) with 187.375 points.

Newport took second at 173.225, Mount Rainier third at 169.400 and Olympia fourth at 168.825.

Woodinville’s Marisa Savage won the all-around with a score of 38.475, and had first-place finishes in the bars, beam and vault. She took third in the floor exercise.

Naleia Gomes took fourth in the all-around, and qualified for Saturday’s individual finals in floor (fifth place) and vault (sixth).

Olympia’s Makayla Waggoner finished sixth in the all-around and will advance to the finals in vault after placing third.

Puyallup’s Kate Jacobsen qualified in the bars (fourth) and floor (eighth). Emerald Ridge’s Kelly Richardson took fifth in the bars to advance.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 11:02 PM with the headline "Auburn’s Ali Tate stuns field as state’s all-around gymnastics champion."