Consistently Strong in Every Event, Ruffing Proves Best All-Around
By
Tim Robinson
Special for MHSAA.com
March 12, 2022
WHITE LAKE TOWNSHIP — Talk about a surprise.
Morgan Ruffing of the Livonia Red co-op team knew her all-around score, and sat patiently during the awards ceremony at Saturday’s individual gymnastics championship meet at Lakeland High School.
“I was like, ‘They haven’t gotten to my score yet,’” she said. “And then they called the second-place score, and I was like, ‘There’s no way.’”
As it turned out, that was the way. Ruffing had won the Division 1 all-around title.
“I was in disbelief the whole time,” she said of her standing atop the medal stand. “I couldn’t believe this was happening.
Ruffing didn’t win an event, but finished among the top five in each of the four events to total a score of 37.525, a half-point ahead of Grand Ledge’s Alaina Yaney, who was second.
Yaney won the vault but slipped to second with a tie for eighth in the floor exercise.
Lacey Scheid of Rockford, last year’s runner-up, won the floor exercise and the balance beam, but finished well out of the top 10 in the parallel bars, which sent her to third all-around.
It was the beam where Ruffing was able to come back from a disappointing performance in Friday’s team meet when she fell attempting a wolf three-quarter turn.
“The pressure got to her,” Livonia Red coach Mandy Brown said. “It was her last event (Friday) and it came down to her routine. (Saturday), I switched it up and had her starting toward the beginning of the beam lineup so she didn’t feel as much pressure.”
A little intentional amnesia didn’t hurt, either.
“Yeah,” Ruffing said, chuckling at the use of “amnesia.” “I just wanted to focus on one event at a time. If I mess up one event, then just forget about it and go on with my next event.”
Ruffing hit the wolf three-quarter in Saturday’s individual meet. She was fourth in the vault (9.425), fifth on the bars (9.150), fourth on the beam (9.3) and second on the floor (9.65).
Consistency won the day, even if it came as a surprise to the winner.
“My goal, coming in, was top three,” Ruffing said. “I didn’t know (winning) was going to happen. I was totally caught off guard.”
Instead, she moved from third last year to a title that was a most pleasant surprise.
Yaney, who went in expecting to contend for the title, also finished fourth on bars and third on beam on the way to her runner-up all-around score.
“I was hoping for first,” she said. “But second is OK.”
All three top finishers are juniors, which could make the 2023 Finals very interesting, indeed.
Ruffing’s teammate, Avery Boyk, was the other individual event winner, taking first in the parallel bars.
In Division 2, Rockford’s Anna Tracey won the all-around with a 36.325 score while taking first on beam and second on bars.
Lydia Beaton of Grand Ledge (36.150) was second all-around, taking first on vault and floor. Howell’s Maria Petru won the Division 2 bars.
PHOTOS (Top) Livonia Red’s Morgan Ruffing performs here beam routine during Saturday’s Individual Finals at White Lake Lakeland. (Middle) Rockford’s Anna Tracey completes her floor routine. (Click for more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Farmington United's Hodge Closes Historic Run as Repeat Finals Champ
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 8, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS – Leah Hodge never really felt like another Division 1 gymnastics championship was in hand Saturday, but she wasn't going to argue with where she stood following the MHSAA Team Final the day before.
The Farmington United senior considered herself as very much in the hunt to become the first gymnast to win back-to-back all-around titles since 2013-14. Maybe, however, just not the favorite to repeat as champion.
"I was nervous, but I felt like things were falling into place. I thought I'd be okay," Hodge said. "I felt like there was less pressure than the (Team Final) because there you're in it for the team."
Hodge had the second-highest all-around score (38.175) in Friday's team competition to Hartland's Alexis Fundich (38.425). But less than 24 hours later, she rebounded to capture the top honor in Division 1 with a score of 38.325 at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills. Fundich was runner-up at 38.1.
Hodge closed out a stellar prep career by becoming the first gymnast to win back-to-back Division 1 Finals all-around titles since Christina Shabet of Troy in 2013-14.
"Since this is my last high school competition, I think I was more happy than nervous," Hodge said. "It's a dream come true."
Hodge won bars (9.65), took second on vault (9.675), third on beam (9.625) and fourth on floor (9.375) to win all-around.
While she was finishing out her repeat run, Hartland produced quite an encore after winning Friday's team meet. The Eagles' Fundich won floor (9.75) while teammates Kate Gostlin captured the vault (9.725) and Abby Griffen the beam (9.825).
Fundich, a junior, said she couldn't quite match Hodge's prowess, but had an outstanding meet.
"I think I was in a position just to have fun," she said. "I made a couple mistakes, but I was proud of how I did overall."
Gostlin said her season turned around in a meet at Lakeland during the regular season. It was there, she said, that her mindset changed from having a credible season to one capable of winning a Finals title in vault.
"I thought I did real good," she said. "It was a mindset, more confidence. I had a really high score there and began to think I could have some really good scores. I began to feel really good about myself and that's a kind of power, knowing you can do it."
Like Gostlin, Griffen said much of her performance can be explained by a higher confidence level.
"I had a really good meet Friday and felt confident in my routine today," she said. "I was real proud of the team (Friday). You don't really expect a state title, but we were confident we could be in it."
Hartland coach Gavin Kress said a case could be made the Eagles actually took a step forward in terms of nailing routines in the individual meet over the team championship.
"It was a less stressful day. The team is what it's really all about," he said. "I think today is more about them. Yesterday we were confident, and that boosted us for today."
Rockford senior Sydnee Schrauben claimed the Division 2 all-around championship with a score of 36.025 as Rams took the top three places. She was followed by senior Kate Tracey (35.900) and sophomore Lillian Green (35.850).
Rockford also dominated Division 2 championships on the apparatuses. Sophomore Reese DeFrang won the vault with a 9.3, Schrauben won the beam with a 9.6 and senior Avery Renberg won the floor with a 9.5. Schrauben tied for fourth on bars, finished 25th on vault and 30th on floor to build the championship all-around score.
Farmington United junior Aubrey Woodman won the Division 2 bars title with an 8.875.
PHOTOS (Top) Farmington United’s Leah Hodge competes on floor exercise during Saturday’s Division 1 Finals at Kenowa Hills. (Middle) Hartland’s Alexis Fundich also competes on floor exercise. (Below) Rockford’s Sydnee Schrauben prepares to launch off the vault. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)