Lake Braddock Again Takes Second
Balance Beam Is Difference for Kellam

By Liam Dillon
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, February 18, 2006

VIRGINIA BEACH, Feb. 17 -- Lake Braddock put the pressure on Kellam of Virginia Beach during the last rotation at the Virginia AAA team gymnastics championships Friday at Tallwood High School.

As Kellam's five gymnasts stood to introduce themselves to the judges for the balance beam, they could watch the Bruins perform on the vault. Senior Jeenie Shank's 9.775 on an impressive front-front vault was the highlight of Lake Braddock's 38.125 mark for the event.

But Kellam responded with a stunning beam performance, punctuated by senior Talia Tossone -- the last Kellam gymnast to compete -- who scored a perfect 10. The Knights scored a 37.55 on beam and won their second state championship with a score of 150.750. Lake Braddock, the Northern Region champion, finished second for the second straight season, scoring a season-high 149.875.

Kellam -- which has three Level 10 club gymnasts -- had just one fall among the four scores that counted on the beam. Meanwhile, Lake Braddock's two strongest gymnasts -- Shank and junior Sara Kubik -- each fell on beam, the team's second rotation. Despite rebounding on the floor and vault, the falls were too much to overcome.

"We were all a little down after beam," Kubik said. "We were thinking about how we could have done so much better."

Tossone, who is competing in high school gymnastics for the first time this year, was the star of the meet with a four-event score of 39.55. She is one of the favorites in the all-around of Saturday's state individual competition, also at Tallwood.

"Ending on beam is always just so nerve-racking," Tossone said. "The fact that we knew exactly what we had to get made it even more so. I just took it one skill at a time when I was up there. We couldn't be happier."

Shank had Lake Braddock's top four-event score with a 38.125. Kubik scored a 37.475.

Despite losing two gymnasts off its state championship-winning team from last season, Stonewall Jackson turned in a solid performance. Fresh off the disappointment of finishing second to Colonial Forge at the Northwestern Region meet, the Raiders took third in the state with a 148.55, 1.35 points ahead of the Eagles.

"I'm really proud of the girls," Raiders Coach Karen Lutman said. "To come back and do well tonight was really impressive. They definitely acted like defending state champions."

Oakton, the area's fourth team competing at the meet, finished sixth with 144.325.

AAA Championships Beam Work: After finishing second in the state team competition for the second straight season, Lake Braddock junior Sara Kubik answered immediately when asked what the team needs to do to finish first: "Work on beam," she said.