Baxter finish 1-2

Once Lacey Baxter nailed her beam routine, her performance on the uneven bars became a distant memory.

Almost.

The Free State High junior, competing at home for the only time this season Wednesday, dragged her feet twice during her bar routine, scraping her toes on the mat. She still finished fourth, but tried instead to focus on the beam, an event that she hasn’t been crisp in lately.

How does one focus after that?

“You just try to regain your strength and finish up the best that you can,” Baxter said afterward, still miffed about her bar routine.

Mission accomplished. Baxter wobbled only once on the beam, was solid during her jumps and nailed a double-backward hand spring, something she missed the past two meets. Her score of 9.35 was enough to win the event.

“She nailed it tonight,” Lawrence High/FSHS coach Kathy Johnson said. “That’s really the first time she’s really nailed it.”

Along with another first in the floor exercise, Baxter finished second in the all-around at the Free State triangular, behind LHS senior Molly Hoss.

Baxter’s performance wasn’t enough for the Firebirds to avoid third place in the team standings, though, behind champion LHS and second-place Lee’s Summit (Mo.) North.

Hoss also won the uneven bars, which proved to be the difference between her and Baxter. Lee’s Summit gymnast Erin McCunnif was third in the all-around, while LHS freshman Meredith West was fourth. LHS sophomore Nicole Jones tied for fifth with Lee’s Summit gymnast Liz DeCosta.

Not winning the all-around didn’t both Baxter too much. Competing at home was more pressure than anything the events offered.

“It feels better to be at home, but, well, it’s nerve-racking too,” Baxter said. “All my friends came, and this is going to be the only impression of me.”

It won’t be the last impression the LHS and FSHS teams leave this season. After the Manhattan Invitational on Saturday, the teams have one more triangular before the Sunflower League meet Oct. 26. With regionals Oct. 31 and state on Nov. 9, there’s not too much time left to perfect routines.

“If you’re going to try something new, you do it now,” Johnson said. “Because after that you’re trying to perfect whatever you’re doing for regionals and state.”