Mount Rainier created another magical moment in gymnastics history in front of an appreciative home audience on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Receiving consistently good performances from all its athletes, the Rams shattered their previous school record with an eye-popping 173.575 points to edge out Thomas Jefferson (!72.35) for the Class 4A South Puget Sound League sub-district championship and a berth to West Central District to be held at Mount Rainier on Saturday, Feb. 11. The previous record for Mount Rainier was 169.75 at Todd Beamer on Jan. 4.

Other district qualifiers in the 15-team event were Emerald Ridge (171.7), Todd Beamer (169.35). Auburn-Riverside (162.7) and Kentlake (162.5).

Baylee Hamilton and Cheyenne Gavino finished first and second respectively in all-around competition, spearheading the Ram effort.

Hamilton swung mightily to a 9.025 first place on the uneven parallel bars while also snaring second place rankings on the floor exercise (9.55) and the balance beam (9.525) in featured achievements of her winning 37.375 all around.

"It was a rough week with sickness," said the Mount Rainier star. "Our team did well and I was just doing my best to focus."

For Gavino, top five performances on each event propelled her to the runner up AA ranking of 36.825.

Gavino sprung to a 9.425 second place on the vault as her top placing. She bounded to a third place 9.5 on the floor and claimed another third at 9.5 on the balance beam. Fifth place on the bars (8.4) completed her total.

"I'm really confident that I can still improve on every event," she said.

Mount Rainier's Ava Welch captured a fifth place on the vault with a score of 9.3.

This week's milestone pleased Ram head coach Ali Kestle.

"It was just a solid performance all around," Kestle said. "We came up on the bars and the floor was high. On the beam, we only had one fall. There are more points available if we execute better."

Despite mishaps on the bars, Thomas Jefferson nearly won the meet.

"Everyone has to compete on the same equipment," said Raider head coach Debbie Hunter. "We'll get things worked out by district."

Shelby Church led the Raiders this time with a fifth place 35.725 all around on the strength of a fifth spot of 9.35 on the beam.

"I thought I did good on the beam and our team did great," she said.

Madi Kellar controlled herself well on the beam to take first with a 9.55 as part of a seventh place AA total of 35.475.

Jumping and dancing energetically, the Raiders' Monica Church won the floor at 9.6 to own an eighth place all around accumulation of 36.35.

Beamer was led by Sam West, who nailed down second place on the bars (8.7) and fifth on the vault (9.3) to highlight a 36.65 third place all around. Leah Freeborn was sixth in the all around with 35.65.

Federal Way finished out of the team qualifiers with an 11th place 151.35, but earned special qualifying berths to district in individual events.

Moving on to district competition on the bars were Valarie Pham and Mariah Campbell. Tiffany McNeary will represent the Eagles on the balance beam beam while talented freshman Tia Thomas achieved district status on the floor exercise.