By John Raffel
It was Rachel Hogan’s moment.
The Grand Ledge gymnast took home first place for all-around in the Division 1 state individual finals March 5 at Rockford High School. She had taken third in 2015.
Hogan had a total score of 38.000 to sneak past Isabelle Nguyen of Grosse Pointe at 37.950. Last year’s all-around champion, Morgan Korf of Rockford, was fifth at 37.625.
Korf had a 37.825 total in 2015 to edge Nguygen (37.750) and Hogan (37.450).
“For my senior year, I just wanted to do the best I could,” Hogan said. “There’s a definite feeling I would go all out for this year. It feels different because it’s my last year and I know that. I want to put it all out there and give it all I’ve got. I guess there was a little more of a drive, a little more of a want to get it.”
Hogan was first in the vault at 9.875 and first in the parallel bars at 9.700.
“It’s really all about the landing on that vault,” she said.
Hogan had a 9.150 in balance beam and didn’t place. But in floor exercises, she was ninth at 9.275.
“I wanted everyone to do their best and whatever happens happens,” Hogan said. “It’s incredible, it’s means so much to me. I hope every girl left here with the feeling they did their best. I feel that way too. It’s a great season.”
“Our performances were very good today,” Grand Ledge coach Duane Haring said. “Rachel Hogan, she worked very hard. At the end, she pulled it out and had the score that took Division I. She stumbled a little bit on beam and floor. She stuck with it and ended up getting a good score at vault and pulled it out at the end. There’s a lot of tremendous gymnasts here today. I wish they could all have taken first.”
Grand Ledge, on Friday, took seventh as a team at the state meet.
“It’s amazing, I’ve been a part of an amazing program with such an amazing coach,” Hogan said. “It’s awesome to be up there. I’m honored to be a part of that.”
“We have a no nonsense program,” Haring said. “We try to teach bigger skills and try to make the girls successful at the end of the day. That’s our philosophy when we go in the gym.”
Allen takes first
A highlight at the state meet for Haslett-Williamston-Bath at Level 2 was a first place performance by Brooke Allen in the floor exercise with a 9.375. She took ninth in all-around. She tied for eighth on the balance beam.
“I was really excited,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to get first place. It was confidence, staying tight.”
Allen, a senior, has gone to the state finals three times, and this year fulfilled her pre-season goal of winning it all.
“I progressed, but I definitely saved my best for last,” she said. “I knew there was a chance (for first). I just wanted to see what would happen.”
Allen and her sister did cheerleading for several years prior to high school gymnastics, and had to compete against other girls who had a club gymnastics background.
“Definitely on bars and vault, I found myself behind,” she said. “It was easier on floor and beam to catch up because of the tumbling aspect from cheer. I kind of wish I had started earlier to see what would happen.”
Allen plans to attend Michigan State and hopes to be a cheerleader. Her gymnastics and tumbling should be a key asset in reach that goal.