Peterman Wins Section Title in All-Around

Spectators sat leisurely in the stands, sipping soda and chatting among themselves, oblivious to the full importance of the final balance beam rotation of optionals at the San Diego Section Gymnastic Championships Saturday at Torrey Pines High.

They were unaware of the tension building and excitement mounting as Morse sophomore Annie Bretado and Fallbrook junior Paige Peterman prepared for the beam.

And the fans probably didn’t realize how costly Bretado’s one fall off the beam was to her finish in the meet. Or that Peterman was probably a little relieved when the fall occurred.

Peterman’s 9.15, surpassing Bretado’s 9.10, gave Peterman her first section all-around optional title with a 37.6, ahead of Bretado’s 37.55. For her score, Peterman was named gymnast of the meet.

“I’m so proud of her,” Fallbrook Coach Pastore Monticalvo said. “She showed maturity and poise. She’s known as a clown, but today she got serious.”

Peterman has claimed the Palomar League optional all-around title three years in a row but fell short of the section title the past two years. As a freshman, Peterman placed fourth and last year she finished third.

“I set the goal as freshman to win CIF,” Peterman said. “Every year I’ve been right in there. It’s really frustrating when you’re so close. When I walked off the floor (exercise), I knew it was going to be a good meet.”

Torrey Pines claimed its third consecutive title, scoring 216.8; Mt. Carmel finished second (214.8), and San Pasqual third (112).

Lisa Spievak of Torrey Pines won the compulsory all-around with a 37.05. She won both the uneven parallel bars (9.6) and the balance beam (9.25).

In optionals, floor exercise was Peterman’s first event, and she ending up winning it with a 9.7. She also won vault (9.45) in addition to the beam.

Going into the beam, Peterman and Bretado were tied. The beam is one of Bretado’s strongest event; it is Peterman’s weakest.

Bretado’s beam routine is one of the most difficult among county high school competitors. And her coach, Steve Butcher even “watered it down” for this competition. Her mount was a round-off layout, seen more frequently in higher levels of competition.

However, Bretado was very nervous. She was keeping close tabs on the scoring and knew that her beam routine would either crown her champion or give her a close second.

As she completed her back handspring step-out, Bretado fell off the beam, losing five-tenths of a point.

“Annie is fabulous,” Monticalvo said. “She uses difficult and superior skills. She exudes confidence and is very disciplined. Her quality and level of gymnastics is one of the best.”

Peterman made four little wobbles and had hopped on her dismount, but she performed well enough to earn a 9.15.

“I guess I work well under presure,” Peterman said.

It wasn’t the second-place finish that bothered Bretado the most. It was that she had the highest score on vault (9.5, which came in optionals), but because she didn’t qualify in that event at the league meet, she couldn’t place in that event. Peterman won it with a 9.45.