MINNEAPOLIS - Competing in her fifth Class AA state meet, Stillwater's Kristina Krenz delivered a stellar performance on Saturday to cap her gymnastics career with a high note at the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion.
The senior finished fifth in the uneven bars with a personal best score of 9.6 in what will remain the final performance. Krenz has endured numerous injuries during her prep career, including a stress fracture in her back and broken bones and ligaments in her foot.
"I was very excited to end on such a positive," said Krenz, who plans to continue her education at the University of Minnesota in the fall. "It was my highest score ever so that was pretty exciting. It was nice to be able to finish strong. I don't really think it's hit me that I'm done with gymnastics."
Krenz, who placed second at state in the balance beam as a sophomore and third as a freshman, never considered the bars one of her strongest events but dedicated more time to it this season while recovering from those torn ligaments in her foot - which already has a screw in it from the previous broken bones.
"It definitely didn't used to be one of my better events," Krenz said. "Due to the foot injury, I've been able to work bars a little more."
Ponies coach Traci Swenson was unsure what to expect from Krenz on Saturday, but the result should have been more predictable based on her history.
"There was a tiny moment before she started her routine when the look on her face was different," Swenson said. "For a second, I worried that she might be overcome with the idea of this being her last routine. As soon as she started her routine, though, I knew that she was going to do great.
"She was clean throughout the routine with an outstanding release move, the best front giants she has ever done and a solid landing on her dismount. She has a very difficult routine on bars, but she made that routine look easy because she performed it so well."
In addition to her state runner-up and third-place showings in the beam, Krenz competed at state as a seventh grader in the bars - the only seventh-grade state qualifier that year - also advanced in the bars and all-around a year ago.
Her score in the bars on Saturday tied her with Kellie Osborn (1982) for fith place on Stillwater's all-time list in the event and she also holds the school record in the beam at 9.725.
"It was so exciting to see her on the podium in her last state meet," Swenson said. "With five state meet experiences, she is without a doubt one of our most successful gymnasts in school history. I could not have been more proud of Kristina. It was an outstanding way for her to finish an exceptional career as a Stillwater gymnast."
The litany of injuries has done little to sour Krenz on a memorable prep career.
"I've had a lot of injuries, but it's nice to have a team that's always there and coaches that are really supportive," Krenz said.
Krenz was joined at state by teammate Alicia Doerr, who placed 27th in the balance beam (8.875) and 32nd in the floor exercise (8.7) while making her first-ever trip to state.
"She had a couple of small errors connecting skills in her floor routine, however, other than that her tumbling and dance was outstanding," Swenson said. "She was in the process of completing an exceptional beam routine - nailing her back tuck-wolf jump combination - but she had a directional error on the penultimate skill of her routine, which caused a fall.
"Despite the errors, the state meet was a great experience for Alicia. She had the opportunity to see what the best high school gymnasts in the state are doing and she is excited to strive to match them."
n Northfield posted a winning score of 148.325 to unseat four-time reigning state champion Roseville in Friday's Class AA team competition. Roseville placed second with a score of 146.225. Cambridge-Isanti (145.45) and Lakeville North (145.225) followed in third and fourth.
Individual results
Vault - 1. Natalie Merrifield (Bloomington Jefferson) 9.75; 2. Kaylee Jondal (Elk River/Zimmerman) 9.7; 3. Brooke Bistodeau (Rogers) 9.675.
Uneven bars - 1. Jena Jondahl (Elk River/Zimmerman) 9.7; 2. Kellie Dougherty (White Bear Lake) 9.7; 3. Sabrina Hoover (Rogers) 9.675; 5. Kristina Krenz (Stillwater) 9.6.
Beam - 1. Sabrina Hoover (Rogers) 9.7; 2. Sveta Mason (Northfield) 9.575; 3. Mariah Miller (St. Cloud Tech) 9.575; 27. Alicia Doerr (Stillwater) 8.875.
Floor - 1. Jena Jondahl (Elk River/Zimmerman) 9.7; 2. Kaylee Jondahl (Elk River/Zimmerman) 9.675; 3. Kayla Widmar (Lakeville South) 9.625; 32. Alicia Doerr (Stillwater) 8.7.
All-around - 1. Sabrina Hoover (Rogers) 38.575; 2. Natalie Merrifield (Bloomington Jefferson) 38.3; 3. Kayla Widmar (Lakeville South) 38.025.
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