One is a fluke, two a coincidence.
But Tift County winning South Georgia’s third state gymnastics title Friday night at Westminster perhaps signaled a trend that metro Atlanta schools’ stranglehold on the sport is weakening.
“That’s what we’re trying to prove, that we’re competitive with metro Atlanta schools,” Tift County coach Jodi Roberts said. “We’ve surpassed our highest expectations.”
With Colquitt County having broken the barrier with South Georgia’s initial win in 2006, Tift County now has two consecutive. The Blue Devils defeated runner-up Alpharetta and third-place Walton last year, but this time scored 112.125 points to edge Lambert’s 111.875 and Alpharetta’s 109.2. Newnan was fourth (108.7), Lowndes fifth (106.875) and Lassiter sixth (105.325).
Roberts’ daughter, Beth, led Tift County by winning the all-around with 38.75. The junior won bars (9.7), beam (9.825) and floor exercise (9.45) and took third on vault (9.775), behind Lambert’s Paige Drehoff (9.8) and Providence Christian’s Trystien Charles (9.8). Tift County’s Libby Barbour was second on beam and floor and fifth in the all-around.
Roberts’ win in the all-around and all four individual exercises helped Tift County easily capture the previous weekend’s 32-team state qualifier at Lovett. She was glad to make a difference again when it counted most Friday.
“With my team supporting me, I had fun and was confident,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, really.”
Oconee County’s title in 2004 first barged the championship outside metro Atlanta, loosening the grip of metro schools such as Lakeside, Redan, Tucker, Milton and Roswell. Now, with South Georgia teams owning three of the past seven crowns, the sport is becoming a state-wide one.
“We surpassed our highest expectations,” Jodi Roberts said. “Everything came to fruition and just the right time.”
Alpharetta’s Kelsey Kopec, state all-around winner in 2010 and ’11, finished second Friday behind Roberts (37.9). Lowndes’ Kenyadah Prime, who qualified second in the all-around, took third (37.7).
Lambert coming within a quarter-point of Tift County was remarkable for a first-year team. The Longhorns were led by Drehoff in the vault and Katie Stuart’s fourth-place 9.5 on bars.
“I’m overwhelmed, but the girls aren’t,” Lambert coach Chris Naffky said. “They knew going in it would be a good fight.”
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