Lawrence High gymnast Ellie Lloyd could have just taken a bow when introduced as the lone senior on the Lions’ gymnastics team during Wednesday’s Senior Night at LHS.

Instead, Lloyd did two back walkovers on a four-inch wide balance beam for her finale.

“I hadn’t ever tried it before,” Lloyd said of the maneuver, which features her bending over backward and then flipping over upright with her hands. “I decided to do it earlier in the week. I worked really hard all week, and the crowd really pumped me up to do it tonight.”

While Wednesday’s quadrangular meet was subdued compared to last week’s Lawrence High All-Around, the two city squads focused on celebrating Lloyd and gearing up for the season’s final few meets.

“Everyone had a good all-around night tonight,” city coach Kathy Johnson said. “It was kind of a smaller meet than last week, and I think that allowed everyone a better chance to practice their routines.”

Free State High’s Lacey Baxter took second in the individual all-around, earning a score of 35.95. The Firebirds won the team competition after posting a score of 101.4. The Lions finished third in 98.25.

Firebird Karen Kroge was especially excited for Lloyd.

“It’s really cool that she pulled that off in her first-ever attempt,” said Kroge, who finished fifth in the floor exercise with an 8.0. “It was a special night for the senior.”

Johnson said Lloyd’s moves were far from routine.

“It’s tough to perform moves up there,” she said. “It’s tough let alone walking on a beam that’s four inches wide and four feet off the ground.”

Free State High senior Kim Baker starts a series of cartwheels and flips for her floor routine. Baker and the Firebird gymnasts competed in a quadrangular Wednesday at Lawrence High.