Photo by Sam Thiel Marshall’s Cameen McFarquhar competes on the balance beam during the Section 3A meet on Saturday. McFarquhar qualified for the state meet in the event.

MARSHALL — With superhero capes and masks on in between routines, the Marshall gymnastics team looked to get a heroic performance during the Section 3A meet on Saturday. Marshall was able to earn a fourth-place finish with a team score of 127.525 while Cameen McFarquhar qualified for the state meet in the balance beam.

Worthington took first with a team score of 145.400 to advance to the state meet as a team. Jackson County Central took second (133.650), followed by Luverne in third (132.750), Redwood Valley in fifth (126.675), Pipestone Area in sixth (126.625) and Windom Area in seventh (125.300).

Marshall coach Sam Nielsen said she’s proud of the way her team competed and is excited to see McFarquhar qualify for the state meet.

“It was a really exciting meet and every girl threw their hardest skills and they were the cleanest routines we’ve had all season. I’m really proud of all of them for working as hard as they do and earning that fourth place,” Nielsen said. “It’s also been a couple of years since we’ve taken anyone to state and she’s very excited; it was a surprise to her, but that made it more exciting.”

Nielsen added it was exciting to be able to host the section meet. As the host team, Marshall’s choice for the theme of the section meet was superhero/comics.

“It’s only my second year coaching, so it was a lot of prep work and a lot of learning that I had to do, but I think everything paid off and ran smoothly and it was exciting to be the host team,” Nielsen said. “Every year for the section meet, the host team gets to pick a theme and this year we chose ‘Assembly of Champions’, so it was basically a superhero/comic theme. Every gymnast got a goodie bag with a bunch of different items and within that was a cape and a mask and they were able to wear it when they walked out and be announced and throughout the meet just to make it more exciting.”

McFarquhar led Marshall with an all-around score of 34.100 (5th place), getting an 8.600 on vault (T-10th), 7.850 on the uneven bars, 8.800 on beam (T-5th) and 8.850 in the floor exercise (10th) while Clara Bader had an all-around score of 31.675, getting an 8.525 on vault, 7.000 on bars, 8.225 on beam (10th) and 7.925 on floor. Jocelyn Schlenner had a 7.975 on vault, 7.500 on beam and 8.500 on floor, Kaylee VanHauwaert had a 7.200 on bars, 7.325 on beam and 7.100 on floor, Kendall Walerius had a 6.750 on floor, Leah Matzner had a 7.625 on beam, Autumn Deutz had a 7.850 on bars, Sydney Brandt had a 6.200 on bars, Reeanna Hassan had an 8.000 on vault and Fran Lubenow had a 7.975 on vault to round out their scores.

Saluting

the seniors

Saturday’s meet also marked the final one for Marshall’s six seniors in Lubenow, Matzner, VanHauwaert, Gabbi Schlenner, Hassan and Bader. Nielsen said they’ve grown a lot over the years and it’s been great to see their hard work pay off.

“They have all been here since their seventh-grade year and they’ve worked really hard throughout those six years and it has paid off,” Nielsen said. “They have grown a lot and I’ve known them for the entire six years and I competed with them and now I’m coaching them, so it’s really cool to watch them grow in the sport and as people in the real world and they’re really great people.”

Up next

The Class A state meet will be held next weekend at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in St. Paul, with the team competition on Friday and the individual and all-around competition on Saturday at 6 p.m.