THORNTON – A year after finishing runner-up at the state championships, Mountain Range gymnastics made the leap up to the top of the 5A classification.

At Thornton High School on Thursday evening, the Mustangs amassed a four-event combined score of 184.425 to finish in first place. It was the program’s second overall title – first in Class 5A – and its first since 2007. 

“It’s a first for our school, so we’re really proud of it,” Mustangs head coach Becky Linnenburger said. “The girls had a really consistent year of building and that was definitely our goal this year. We’ve been working on adding little goals. A little bit here, a little bit there. Little by little, a little became a lot and they had a great performance today.”

In winning the Class 5A team title, the Mountain Range girls unseated a Broomfield team that had won the past two. Prior to that, either Overland or Pomona had combined to win the previous eight. 

Finishing behind Mountain Range on Saturday, Overland and Broomfield tied for second place with a team score of 181.375. Pomona (179.050) took fourth and Ponderosa (175.425) was fifth.

The Mustangs won the vault with a score of 46.850, the uneven bars with a score of 45.625 and the floor exercise with a score of 46.950. Overland had the highest team score of 45.625 on the balance beam.

Lakewood senior Lauren Burt won the all-around competition with a score of 38.850. It was her second straight all-around title, also winning last season’s title despite stumbling out of bounds during the floor routine and falling off the balance beam. This time around, she won the all-around title by posting the highest qualifying scores in the vault, bars and beam, and should be favored to take home individual titles in multiple events during the individual competition on Saturday.

“It’s been crazy,” Burt said. “But to come back and do it again, I’m just so grateful for the experience. I did have some mistakes today, so I was a little on my toes. But it was good to come in here, trust my training and know that I could do it.”

A Lakewood gymnast has now won the last three 5A all-around titles. Lakewood’s Isabella Gee won the all-around in 2021.

Mountain Range’s Frankie McCaskil finished runner-up in the all-around with a score of 38.200. Overland’s Ainsley Renner (37.500) was third, Pomona’s Addy Brodie (37.400) was fourth and Arvada West’s Layla Petz (37.375) was fifth.

Bear Creek has the most all-time team titles with 11, last claiming the trophy in 2010.