JAG Wins State Team Gymnastics Title

Jackson Area Gymnastics brought home the big trophy at the Michigan High School Athletic Association state team finals on Friday at Rockford High School.  Photo courtesy Rick Bradley

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(March 28, 2021 11:38 AM) The Jackson Area Gymnastics team came to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state finals at Rockford on Friday with the attitude they just wanted to have fun and let the chips fall where they may.

Late Friday, the chips fell into first place as JAG won the first state gymnastics title by the narrowest of margins.

JAG finished with a team total of 144.775 to edge the host school of Rockford 144.50.

JAG Coach Marcy Miller calls this her dream team as she has coached most of the gymnasts at Syd’s Aussie Star Gymnastics Club in Jackson.

“The girls practiced so hard and made the whole year about the team and not about themselves,” Miller said. “We wanted to come in here and have fun.

“The girls didn’t want to know the scores.”

So, Jackson had no idea they were so high up until the final announcement.

“They got to announcing third place and one of our girls said ‘no, I think this is second place,’” Miller said. “This was so far out of our reach that we never dreamed this big.”

Until Friday, Jackson never placed in the top 10 as a team at the state meet.

JAG finished first on the floor exercise with a team score of 37.725 and first on the beam scoring 36.825.

“I told the girls the team that stayed on the beam are the ones who will win the meet,” Miller said. “We stuck the beam and that was the difference.”

JAG finished second on the vault (36.25) and ninth on the uneven pars (33.975).

JAG is comprised on seven different school districts in Jackson County forming one team. The team finished the conference season with an undefeated record.

Cara Fries of Lumen Christi Catholic High School finished with an all-around score of 37.0 for JAG. Abi Grimm of Grass Lake scored 36.125 and Alyssa Budd of Napoleon tallied 35.95 for the team score.

Addi Richmond, Kaelin Schiffer, Jenna Bradley, Amelia Hamlin, and Megan Jones also scored for Jackson.

“I have had some of these girls in my gym since ages three or four,” Miller said.

On Saturday, Grimm and Budd were the stars for Jackson during the Division 1 individual competition.

Grimm was fifth on the balance beam (9.425), sixth on the floor exercise (9.3), and ninth in the all-around (36.375) earning three all-state medals.

Budd tied for ninth place on balance beam (9.3) and tied for seventh on the floor exercise (9.250) to earn a pair of medals.

Richmond won the Division 2 floor exercise (9.325) and tied for ninth in the all-around competition (35.175).