Published Saturday, May 02, 2009

Hudson, Pirie earn All-State status

The Times-Herald

Newnan sophomore Paige Pirie and Northgate senior Zuri Hudson each earned All-State status during an impressive finale for Georgia high school gymnastics during Friday night's GHSA state meet at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta.

Providence Christian's Michelle Shealy scored an extremely rare perfect 10 to help lead her team to a state championship. Shealy also edged Oconee County standout Lindsey Cheek for the all-around title. Shealy's perfect score on floor led an all-around effort of 39.225, with Cheek finishing with a 38.8.

Providence Christian of Lilburn finished with a team score of 109.25, edging out Milton (108.625) and Walton (107.775). Newnan's GymCats, who reached the championships in team competition for the fourth straight season since fielding a varsity team, placed sixth, led by Pirie's all-around score of 37.10, where she also finished sixth overall.

Newnan's team score of 105.5 was just behind Lassiter (106.5) and Chattahoochee (107.1)

The top-five individual placers each earn All-State recognition.

"We didn't do as good as we did in the qualifier," said GymCats coach Kate Davis, whose lineup this year coming off a 2008 state championship consisted of three sophomores including Pirie and a freshman. "There were some tremendous scores (Friday). We were not expecting to go to state this year and we got there. So for us, it was still a successful year. I look at it as if we're 4-0," having made state in each of the program's four seasons.

Also competing for the GymCats on Friday were Haley Pilgreen, Samantha Mizell and Carlee Forrest. The 2009 season was also the first time that all three GHSA high schools in Coweta County fielded teams together.

Both Pirie and Hudson, a club-level veteran gymnast among Northgate's first-ever varsity team, put up impressive efforts respectively on bars and vault just to be able to finish in the top-five. Pirie took fifth on bars with a 9.45, the second-straight year that the Newnan sophomore has earned All-State status in the event.

Hudson, meanwhile, posted a stellar 9.675 on vault and placed fourth. Despite struggling on beam, Hudson added a 9.3 on floor while one of just six state finalists in the all-around.

East Coweta senior Hannah Antley, a state qualifier on beam, did not place, but still managed an solid 9.0 in her final varsity meet, identical to her score in the state qualifier to put her in the final 12 competitors Friday.

It was the first time in 10 seasons that Providence Christian, a Class A school with an enrollment of just over 400 students, fielded a gymnastics team. Shealy, who will attend Iowa State opened the meet on floor with her perfect 10. She finished second on vault (9.825) and bars (9.7).