ShawneeDispatch.com

After an injury-plagued first half of the season, the Shawnee Mission Northwest gymnastics team rolled into the second half of the season a bit healthier and much stronger.

Some injuries still nag, others are healing, but the Cougars began ramping up routine difficulty on Thursday at the Shawnee Mission North Invitational, and the positive results were in the standings.

Northwest placed first as a team with 103.70 points and the Cougars nabbed two of the top three spots in the all-around competition.

Senior Candice Owen shook off a nagging ankle injury and led the way by placing first in the all-around. In addition, she was first in the vault, second on the uneven bars and the floor exercise, and third on the balance beam.

Junior Sierra Trussell was equally impressive. She battled through a nagging knee injury to turn in a first-place effort on the beam, a third-place performance on the floor, fourth-place finishes on the vault and bars and a third-place showing in the all-around competition.

Also in the varsity competition, sophomore Jessica Tingle dazzled with a new vault routine that placed third overall. She also took sixth on the bars. Junior Mary Jane Graves scratched from the all-around competition because of a knee injury, but she was strong in the three events she competed in, finishing fourth on the floor and vault and sixth on the bars. Junior Molli Bird, a usual all-arounder who’s also recovering from a knee injury, finished fifth on the vault, seventh on the beam and eighth on the bars.

Showcasing the program’s depth, Northwest fielded a first-place junior varsity squad as well. Sophomore Camry Jones highlighted that group as she placed first in the vault, uneven bars and balance beam. In addition, she was second in the floor exercise and took first in the all-around competition.

The Cougars also had the JV all-around runner-up in freshman Bailey Sestak. She placed second overall in the vault and uneven bars, as well as fifth in the floor exercise and sixth on the beam.

Other top JV performances for the Cougars included a third-place finish in the uneven bars by senior Linda Kuenzi, a third-place beam performance by freshman Jessica Prater and a fourth-place finish in the floor exercise by sophomore Mackenzie Rex. In addition, sophomore Shannon Martin was first on the floor, second on the beam and fourth in the vault.

The Cougars next compete at 6 p.m. Wednesday when they play host to Shawnee Mission East and Shawnee Mission North in a home triangular.