Any nerves Callie Hicks had before the start of the Free State Invitational disappeared when the FSHS senior gymnast landed off of the vault in her first event.

Hicks scored a 9.4 and won the event. She later finished second on both the balance beam and uneven bars, helping the Firebirds to sixth place Saturday on Senior Day.

Free State senior Kennedy Sullivan was also celebrated on Senior Day but didn’t compete in the meet.

“It was definitely emotional, especially being around people that I’ve known since a young age,” Hicks said. “I’m going to miss competing in this gym. It was definitely memorable for me competing here.”

Saturday’s celebration for Hicks nearly never happened.

She debated over the past few months whether to compete in gymnastics this year, especially after winning a state championship in the pole vault last spring and training year-round for the track event.

“It was definitely a hard decision,” Hicks said. “But altogether, with it being my senior year, I just decided to do it because I thought I’d probably regret it if I didn’t.”

Hicks said she’s “really happy” with her decision to compete this season. She scored an 8.4 on the uneven bars, adjusting to growing three inches since last season and flexing her feet to clear the low bar, and scored a 9.0 on the balance beam despite an awkward fall on a back tuck.

“We always laugh that in my beam series, my tumbling series, usually if I make the first back tuck, I almost always make the second one,” Hicks said. “So it was just kind of a weird fall for me because I made the first one and not the second one. But it’s all right.”

Lawrence High had three girls finish in the top 12 of all-around scores. Senior Ashley Ammann, who took seventh in the uneven bars and floor exercise, led the Lions with 32.85 all-around points, earning eighth place overall.

“This year I’ve improved a lot in beam,” Ammann said. “I feel like I’ve gotten more solid on my skills. I don’t fall off as much, so that’s good.”

Freshman Eden Kingery scored a 9.05 on the vault — her highest score in the event this season — finishing third in the event. She also finished eighth in the floor exercise.

The Lions are focused on improving their team score with their sights set on earning a spot on the podium at state.

“We’re really starting to improve,” coach Brooke Kissinger said. “We’re really starting to get those skills down. We have a chance to do well at state, so I’m hoping it’s good. Last year, Lawrence High didn’t make it to state as a team. So the fact that we’re coming back this year, and potentially podium contenders, is pretty exciting.”

Free State Invitational

Saturday at Free State

Team scores: 1. Newton, 103.7; 2. SM Northwest, 99.45; 3. Lawrence High, 96.3; 4. SM North, 90.55; 5. Emporia, 88.45; 6. Free State, 83.65; 7. SM West, 78.45.

Free State individual results

Vault — 1. Callie Hicks, 9.4; t-19. Landon Prideaux, 8.3; t-22. Yasmine Jakmouj, 8.2.

Uneven bars — t-2. Hicks, 8.4; 19. Jakmouj, 6.3; 21. Prideaux, 5.9.

Balance beam — 2. Hicks, 9.0; t-11. Prideaux, 7.6; 21. Jakmouj, 6.85.

Floor — 20. Prideaux, 7.2; t-27. Jakmouj, 6.5.

All-Around — 17. Prideaux, 29.0; 19. Jakmouj, 27.85.

Lawrence individual results

Vault — t-3. Eden Kingery, 9.05; t-10. Ashley Ammann, 8.6; t-12. Jordyn Leon, 8.55; t-17. Eliana Seidner, 8.35; 21. Klara Hinson, 8.25.

Uneven bars — 7. Ammann, 7.95; t-11. Leon, 7.5; 13. Kingery, 7.45; 22. Seidner, 5.6; 27. Hinson, 5.0.

Balance beam — t-9. Ammann, 7.9; t-14. Leon, 7.5; 17. Seidner, 7.4; 20. Kingery, 6.9; 28. Hinson, 5.9.

Floor — 7. Ammann, 8.4; 8. Kingery, 8.35; 16. Leon, 7.65; t-22. Seidner, 7.1; t-25. Hinson, 6.7.

All-Around — 8. Ammann, 32.85; 11. Kingery, 31.75; 12. Leon, 31.2; 18. Seidner, 28.45; 22. Hinson, 25.85.