Mead gymnast Dezlyn Lundquist breaks program-record in all-around, places second at State 3A competition

BELLEVUE – Great results, no complaints.

Mead came into Friday night’s State 3A/2A gymnastics meet at Sammamish High School with championship aspirations and took home its second straight second-place trophy, posting a season-high score of 176.8 that was not quite enough to overcome a deep Lake Washington squad, which won its second state title in four years with a total of 180.15.

“This was our highest score this year, so that means we did the best we could have possibly done,” Mead coach Hanna Bjerkestrand said. “I think that’s great. I’m very happy.”

Panthers junior Dezlyn Lundquist placed second in all-around, getting edged by three-time all-around champion Seema Borgmann of Sammamish, 38.275 to 38.125. Jacquie Bonnett of Mt. Spokane placed 14th out of 145 competitors with a score of 35.15.

Lundquist, the reigning 3A/2A floor exercise champion, will seek to defend her title in Saturday’s individual event finals. She and Borgmann posted Friday night’s top floor score of 9.525.

Mt. Spokane’s Wildcats, who wowed the crowd during a lights-out, strobe-flashing march-in ceremony by wearing large, luminous leis around their necks, finished fifth in the eight-team field with a team score of 163.15.

Lundquist’s 38.125 broke the Mead school record for all-around score, fractionally topping the mark set by now-assistant coach Jenna Schlosser, who was named 3A/2A assistant coach of the year Friday night.

Bjerkestrand sees a bright future ahead for Mead.

“We’re young,” she said. “We have a lot of talent coming back.”

Tabitha Pierce finished 10th in all-around (35.875), and Abagail Fielding (35.05) took 16th.

One of Mead’s key performers, senior Grace Martinsen, was especially happy to be at state after missing the first two months of the season due to an eye condition (FEVR) she has battled since childhood and has left her legally blind in her left eye.

In November, just as gymnastics was beginning, the retina in her left eye detached, which required surgery, then a second surgery in December.

Determined to compete in her senior year, Martinsen took part in his first meet in mid-January, which happened to be senior night.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to come back, but it felt really nice to be able to go out and do stuff again,” Martinsen said.

“It’s always been a thing I’ve had to deal with, and I’m just grateful for all that I get to do, and if something happens, I know someone who can fix it.”

Martinsen, whose specialty is the vault, where she throws a demanding Tsukahara flip, competed in three events, leading off Mead’s floor strong lineup with a 9.0 (punctuated by an athletic 9.525 from Lundquist).

“I’ve always loved gymnastics, doing flips, building friendships,” she said.

“I love being able to compete for my team and count for my team’s score. I didn’t want to stop.”

“She works hard as an athlete, she’s kind as a person, you don’t want much more as a coach,” Bjerkestrand said. “You’re just happy she’s there.”

In the morning’s 4A individual finals, Kylie Morais of Central Valley placed eighth on balance beam (8.5).

In Thursday’s team competition, won by Sumner, Hannah Kapelke of Lewis and Clark tied for 12th in all-around (33.975).

Morais tied for 14th (33.875) and Gaby Ontiveros of LC took 18th (32.5) in a field of 82 gymnasts.

Federal Way senior Joseline Abundis was the 4A all-around champion (37.15).