Zell claims fifth in all-around for Tigers in Brookings

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BROOKINGS — The defending Class “AA” Watertown Arrows swept the top spot in all four events and the top two places in all-around to easily claim the team title at the Brookings High School Invitational gymnastics meet on Saturday.
The Arrows amassed 145.275 points to take the team title, with Mitchell in the runner-up spot with 142.85. Brookings was a distant third with 136.150.
Led by a solid day from Erica Zell, the Huron Tigers finished ninth in the large field, which featured the top teams in both Class A and AA.
Watertown’s Brooke Bollinger edged teammate Myah Morris 37.475 to 36.850 for the all-around crown at the meet. Both Arrows won two events - Morris had the top scores in vault (9.825) and bars (9.475), while Bollinger took the top prize on both beam (9.125) and floor exercise (9.7). For the day, Bollinger finished in the top three of all four events.

Zell earned a fifth-place finish in the all-around, highlighted by a second-place score in the floor exercise, where her 9.5 left her 2/10s behind Bollinger’s top score. Zell finished eighth in the vault with an 8.95, earned a fifth-place score in bars with an 8.95, and claimed 17th in beam with an 8.175.
“Erica Zell had a great invite,” Huron coach Julie King said. “Kassie Decker had a clean bar routine.”
Other Huron top-25 finishers included McKenzie Paulson (21st) and Kassie Decker (25th), both in beam. Decker finished 20th in all-around for Huron while Jacelyn Bankston was 26th in the deep field.
“McKenzie Paulson and Leah Pyle had no-fall beam routines that were solid,” King said.
The Tigers are back on the mats Friday, when they host the Huron Invitational, at the Tiger Activity Center, with a 5:30 p.m. start time.