Riverside sends sweet 16 to state

Every back walk over.

Every front hip circle, squat on and jump to the high bar… has led to this.

It’s go time for Riverside Gymnastics.

Oregon’s Girls Optional Championship is March 18 and 19 in Salem – just eight days out.

And on this Tuesday night, every kid in this chalky gym knows it.

“I’m trying to get my walk over back hand spring on floor,” said Sofia Blair, 13, while taking a break from floor. “If I try hard enough, I can do it.’

Poppy Miller, 12, put her goals for state simply.

“I want a clean meet - no falls, no wobbles, no big mistakes.”

Blair agreed. “I’ve fallen on beam and still got an 8.9 earlier this season. If I don’t fall at state, that’s a 9.4. I want a really high score.”

Coach Mike Smith liked their thinking.

“We want them to get a personal best at state. They should progress through the season and be doing their best work at the end,” he said.

Having moved 11 athletes up a level this season, Coach Candy Smith said she was proud of the effort the girls are making.

“This is exceedingly difficult,” she said. “Every one of our all-around gymnasts has tied or achieved their highest score of the season in one of their last three meets.”

The squad is showing promise.

At Gill Coliseum in Corvallis on March 5, Alexa Baldy and Emily Adams both knocked out some huge scores, taking all-around first places and catapulting the level-6 team to a third-place finish.

“It was cool to compete at OSU,” Baldy said, noting she watched the collegiate girls in action the night before her meet. “I’m nervous for state. I want to do good.”

Twelve-year-old Adams said the competition would be tough.

“I am nervous that there is going to be a lot of good people, and I will not do as well,” she said. “I’ve got Monarch butterflies.”

Zoe Dunn and Ashley Quisenberry are also in the hunt.

The level-6 athletes have both achieved all-around, top-five finishes in recent weeks.

“I’m not going to fall on bars,” Dunn said. “My coaches are asking for higher casts.”

The level-6 team has also seen big contributions from Nina Sanchez-Macias, who put up an all-9s performance in Eugene at the end of February.

“That girl is on fire,” said teammate Griffin LaVigne.

At Level 7, Hannah Caracciolo is peaking at the right time.

Laying down a 36.875 all around in Corvallis with a first-place bars routine has her thinking big.

“I’m trying to make my vault more consistent and my tumbling faster,” she said.

The level-8 trident of Emma Smith, Courtney Hert and Ellie Cardosi have been stocking more hardware than True Value this season.

The team has taken several team trophies and is led by Cardosi, who has gone first all-around four times.

And she pulled her top scores of the season on floor and vault in Corvallis.

Audrey Hinatsu, who took fourth in the Western Championship at level 9 in 2015 has moved to level 10 this season.

Her hopes?

“Regionals and Nationals,” she said.

Riverside Gymnastics is a nonprofit with recreational and competitive programs for boys and girls.

For more information on the program, parents and fans can log on to the website www.riverside-gym.org or call 541-993-8625 or visit the gym at 2221 River Road, The Dalles.

Great West Gym Fest, Coeur d’Alene, Feb. 19 & 20

Level 10

Audrey Hinatsu: vault-8.675, 5th; bars- 7.25, 3rd; beam- 8.8, 2nd; floor- 8.6, 6th; All Around- 33.325, 4th.

Level 8

Courtney Hert: vault-8.65, 5th; bars- 8.1, 7th; beam- 8.725, 6th; floor- 8.75, 6th; All Around- 34.225, 6th

Ellie Cardosi: vault-9.25, 1st; bars- 9.15, 1st; beam- 9.3, 2nd; floor- 9.225, 1st; All Around- 36.925, 1st

Emma Smith: vault-8.775, 4th; bars- 8.45, 8th; beam- 8.25, 10th; floor- 9, 8th; All Around- 34.475, 10th

Level 7

Celia Peterson: vault-9.05, 5th; bars- 8.15, 5th; beam- 8.95, 5th; floor- 8.9, 5th; All Around- 35.05, 6th

Hannah Caracciolo: vault-8.925, 4th; bars- 8.65, 1st; beam- 8.925, 5th; floor- 9.2, 5th; All Around- 35.75, 3rd

McKenna Bailey: vault-9, 5th; bars- 7.4, 4th; beam- 9.35, 2nd; floor- 9.3, 4th; All Around- 35.05, 4th

Poppy Miller: vault-9.075, 3rd; bars- 8.4, 7th; beam- 8.9, 5th; floor- 9.05, 7th; All Around- 35.425, 5th

Level 6

Alexa Baldy: vault-8.95, 4th; bars- 9.275, 1st; beam- 9.525, 1st; floor- 9.525, 1st; All Around- 37.275, 1st

Ashley Quisenberry: vault-8.575, 6th; bars- 8.55, 7th; beam- 8.725, 6th; floor- 9.25, 3rd; All Around- 35.1, 6th

Emily Adams: vault-8.8, 4th; bars- 9.1, 3rd; beam- 9.5, 1st; floor- 9.15, 5th; All Around- 36.55, 2nd

Nina Sanchez-Macias: vault-8.7, 5th; bars- 8.95, 1st; beam- 9.15, 4th; floor- 9.05, 8th; All Around- 35.85, 5th

Sofia Blair: vault-8.625, 7th; bars- 8.05, 8th; beam- 8.85, 6th; floor- 8.7, 10th; All Around- 34.225, 10th

Zoe Dunn: vault-8.9, 1st; bars- 8.475, 3rd; beam- 9.1, 4th; floor- 9.2, 3rd; All Around- 35.675, 2nd

Emerald Team Challenge, Eugene, Feb. 27

Level 10

Audrey Hinatsu: vault-8.75, ; bars- 8.1; beam- 9.275, 3rd; floor- 8.05; All Around- 34.175, 4th

Level 8

Courtney Hert: vault-9.15, 4th; bars- 8; beam- 9.1; floor- 8.675; All Around- 34.925

Ellie Cardosi: vault-9.15, 4th; bars- 9.55, 2nd; beam- 9.4, 5th; floor- 9.15; All Around- 37.25, 4th

Emma Smith: vault-8.75; bars- 8; beam- 8.95; floor- 8.925; All Around- 34.625

Level 7

Celia Peterson: vault-9, 6th; bars- 8.3; beam- 9, 4th; floor- 8.9; All Around- 35.2, 7th

Hannah Caracciolo: vault-8.75; bars- 9.1, 5th; beam- 8.825; floor- 9.35, 4th; All Around- 36.025, 5th

Griffin LaVigne: beam- 7.95

Poppy Miller: vault-8.65; bars- 8.6; beam- 8.75; floor- 9; All Around- 35

Level 6

Alexa Baldy: vault-8.6; bars- 8.9, 2nd; beam- 9.15, 6th; floor- 9.25, 4th; All Around- 35.9, 5th

Ashley Quisenberry: vault-8.6; bars- 8.7; beam- 8.25; floor- 9.25, 5th; All Around- 34.8

Emily Adams: vault-9.15, 4th; bars- 8.85, 6th; beam- 9.55, 6th; floor- 9.25, 1st; All Around- 36.8, 3rd

Nina Sanchez-Macias: vault-9.175, 3rd; bars- 9.05, 1st; beam- 9.125, 6th; floor- 9; All Around- 36.35, 4th

Sofia Blair: vault-8.7; bars- 7.9; beam- 8.9; floor- 8.525; All Around- 34.025

Zoe Dunn: vault-8.85; bars- 8.6; beam- 8.95; floor- 9.1; All Around- 35.5

OSUGA, Corvallis, March 5

Level 10

Audrey Hinatsu: bars- 6.4; beam- 9.25, 1st; floor- 7.75

Level 8

Courtney Hert: vault-8.75, 6th; bars- 8.35, ; beam- 9.225, 3rd; floor- 8.725; All Around- 35.05

Ellie Cardosi: vault-9.3, 1st; bars- 9.1, 3rd; beam- 9.05, ; floor- 9.625, 1st; All Around- 37.075, 2nd

Emma Smith: vault-8.8, 4th; bars- 8.65, 5th; beam- 7.775; floor- 8.75; All Around- 33.975

Level 7

Celia Peterson: vault-9.15, 7th; bars- 7.55; beam- 8.075; floor- 9.05; All Around- 33.85

Hannah Caracciolo: vault-9.25, 3rd; bars- 9, 1st; beam- 9.35, 2nd; floor- 9.275, 5th; All Around- 36.875, 1st

Griffin LaVigne: beam- 8.25

Krissy Carter: bars- 8.3, 5th; beam- 8.975;

Poppy Miller: vault-9.15, 4th; bars- 8.6, 3rd; beam- 8.7; floor- 9.05; All Around- 35.5, 5th

Samantha Stanley: vault-9.2, 6th; beam- 7.35

Level 6

Alexa Baldy: vault-9.1, 4th; bars- 8.975, 3rd; beam- 9.6, 1st; floor- 9.425, 1st; All Around- 37.1, 1st

Ashley Quisenberry: vault-8.95, 5th; bars- 8.875, 3rd; beam- 8.7, ; floor- 8.87; All Around- 35.4, 5th

Emily Adams: vault-9.325, 3rd; bars- 9.3, 1st; beam- 9.575, 1st; floor- 9.15, 3rd; All Around- 37.35, 1st

Nina Sanchez-Macias: vault-9.1, 4th; bars- 7.95; beam- 9.25; floor- 8.5; All Around- 34.8,

Zoe Dunn: vault-9, 4th; bars- 9.025, 3rd; beam- 8.775; floor- 8.725; All Around- 35.525, 5th