Findlay, Springfield tops at district gymnastics

Liberty Center’s Rentschler 2nd in all-around

2/27/2014

Two area teams plus several individuals will compete in the state gymnastics meet Friday and Saturday at Hilliard Bradley High School in suburban Columbus.

Findlay, which won the district team championship last Saturday, and Springfield, which placed second, will each be part of Friday’s team competition. That event starts at 3:30 p.m.

The individual event competition begins Saturday at noon.

Coach Traci Dunn’s Findlay Trojans are led by juniors Tori Cox and Maranda Butler, and freshman Cassidy Pruitt. Rounding out the squad for team competition will be sophomores Lacey Thomas, Leah Thomas, and Bridget Dunn.

On Saturday, Cox will also compete on the uneven bars, the floor exercise and in the all-around. Butler will compete in the vault, and Pruitt on the bars.

Springfield coach Jessie Hodulik’s Blue Devils are paced by freshman Kaylynn Frantz and junior Cassie Frantz, who will be part of the team and individual competition.

Also in the team event from Springfield will be senior Jacey Gray, juniors Caeli Barnes and Jenny Chang, and sophomores Valaje Hester and Breona Johnson.

Kaylynn Frantz returns Saturday on the balance beam, in the floor exercise, and in the all-around. Cassie Frantz will compete in the individual vault Saturday.

At Saturday’s district meet at Bowling Green State University’s Anderson Arena, Findlay posted 140.25 points for the team title. Springfield (138.45) was second. Clay was third at 138.45, missing state by a tiebreaker, Tinora was fourth at 131.85, and Notre Dame was fifth at 130.275.

Liberty Center senior Cheyenne Rentschler was the top area individual competitor, finishing second in the all-around with a combined four-event score of 36.8.

Rentschler won the vault with a 9.4, was second on the uneven bars at 9.1, second on the balance beam with a 9.1, fourth in the floor exercise with a 9.2.

Sophomore Ashleigh Lindsey of Marion Harding won the all-around, finishing one-tenth of a point above Rentschler.

Clay senior Amethyst Floyd placed fourth in the district vault (9.05) and fifth on the bars (8.75). Her senior teammate Jodi DeMeo was sixth on beam (8.95), third in floor (9.225), and fourth in all-around (35.375).

Kaylynn Frantz was third on beam (9.075) and fifth in floor (9.05), Cassie Frantz tied for fourth in vault (9.05).

Findlay’s Cox was third at district on bars (8.95), second in floor (9.275), and third in the all-around (35.55), Butler was third in vault (9.1), and Pruitt was fourth on bars (8.775).

Also competing at state will be Northview junior Katelyn McKown and St. Ursula freshman Corinna Nowicki.

McKown placed fourth at district on the beam (9.0). Nowicki will compete at state on the bars.

Basketball

Girls districts marquee matchups

There are some prime matchups are on the district girls basketball schedule for today’s semifinals.

In Division I, three-time Three Rivers Athletic Conference champion Notre Dame (20-3) will meet Northern Lakes League runner-up Northview (18-6) at Central Catholic at 7 p.m.

Seventh-ranked Notre Dame, which has reached the state semifinals the last two years, beat Northview in a district final in each of those years. The Eagles also topped Northview 68-33 this season.

The other D-I semifinal features sixth-ranked NLL champion Perrysburg (20-3) and TRAC runner-up Lima Senior (20-4) at Fostoria at 7 p.m.

The two winners meet for the district title Saturday at 3 p.m. at Lake.

In Division II, three-time defending City League champion Rogers (20-4) and Sandusky Bay Conference champion Clyde (23-1) appear to be on a collision course for Saturday’s 7 p.m. district final at Perrysburg.

First, however, each team must get through the semifinals at Perrysburg

Fourth-ranked Clyde faces Central Catholic (17-7) at 6:15 p.m., and 12th-ranked Rogers takes on Bowling Green (13-11) at 8 p.m. Last season, Clyde beat Rogers 61-53 in the regional final.

In Division III at Anthony Wayne, Toledo Area Athletic Conference co-champion Ottawa Hills (18-4) battles Delta (14-9) at 6:15 p.m., and fourth-ranked Northwest Ohio Athletic League champion Archbold (21-2) takes on NWOAL runner-up Evergreen (19-4) at 8 p.m.

The winners meet in Saturday’s 3 p.m. final at Anthony Wayne.

In Division IV at Gibsonburg, TAAC co-champion Toledo Christian (17-6) will meet Arcadia (19-5) at 8 p.m. The winner will face the winner of the 6:15 semifinal between Carey and Danbury for the district title at 7 p.m. Saturday at Gibsonburg.

More news

Start AD Dermer to retire

Start athletic director Jan Dermer will retire from that post effective March 31.

Dermer, 53, said she had intended to finish the school year, but decided to leave following the winter sports season. Her husband, Jack, has already retired, and recently moved to their new home in Florida.

“I was living here by myself, and that’s not any fun,” said Dermer, who has worked in Toledo Public Schools for 27 years.

She has been Start’s AD for three years, was assistant AD for one year, and prior to that taught health and physical education and coached volleyball at the school, where she began in 2001. The 1978 Northview grad previously had taught at Mt. Vernon elementary in Toledo.

“The best part of my career was working with all the different kids,” Dermer said. “Getting to know the athletes outside of the classroom setting, seeing them become something they didn’t know they could become, and watching them grow.”

Contact Steve Junga at: sjunga@theblade.com, or 419-724-6461 or on Twitter@JungaBlade.