Somers' McKenna Mullins headed for states

SOMERS, N.Y. - On Monday, Feb. 10, the Section One gymnastics tournament was held at Eclipse Gym in Mahopac and reaching the states was on everyone’s agenda.

But only one member from the combined Somers, Yorktown and John Jay team made it.

“It’s definitely a good feeling that I earned myself a spot,” said McKenna Mullins of Somers. 

First, she came through on her bread and butter.  Placing first, she said, “I did really well with a 9.8,” said the Tusker of her main event.

The senior also scored big on the uneven bars with an unconventional move called the Stiliana Nikolova.  Named for the gymnast who originated, the maneuver has the gymnast start with their back to the bar and a back flip elevates to the high bar. 

Definitely a departure from all the other participants, Mullins explained why she took on the challenge.

“I wanted to learn a harder skill out there to get a higher difficulty rating,” she said.

Hit to perfection, the uniqueness still fell short by the numbers. A 9.45 resulting, Mullins showed no signs of disappointment with her fourth-place finish.

As for the flat surfaces, Mullins ran into some difficulties. The floor had her wobble a little bit on the second pass and a fall was one too many on the beams. Even so, she recovered enough the rest of the way to remain respectable. Still, the lower scores definitely didn’t ruin her day. Mullins’s all-around was good for third place. 

Two weeks until the states, she’s down with the drill in between.

“I’ll continue to practice my routines,” assured Mullins.

But there’s nothing ordinary about her aspiration. “I'm definitely hoping to place in the all-around and maybe medal,” she said.

Of course, no matter how much shine she comes away with, the tournament is not the last turn. “I’ll have states, regionals and nationals,” Mullins said of her club team.

The states, on the other hand, will serve as a springboard, whose value cannot be overlooked. “It definitely helps - especially in terms of dealing with the pressure,” she concluded.