Photo by Jonathan Hayes.
Even in the final year of the sport, it wouldn’t have been a true Millikan gymnastics season if the Rams hadn’t come out on top.
That was the case during the Rams’ final gymnastics meet ever on Friday night at Millikan, where they took down St. Joseph 145.3–142.2 to finish with an eighth consecutive Moore League championship. Millikan’s Eva Esqueda was named the Moore League Gymnast of the Year with an all-around score of 36.150.
“All of us on this team have worked so hard for this so it’s just so rewarding knowing that the hard word paid off in the end,” said Esqueda.
“I’m just so proud of the girls,” added Millikan coach Ashleigh Ferguson. “I think that they just really shined out there today and they came for it. We just thought, ‘Let’s have a good time together and let’s love each other. It’s our last meet ever.’ There were tears after every single event but in the end it was all them. Their talent spoke for itself. I will admit, it felt nice.”
The win marks the Rams’ 16th title in the last 17 years, dating back to when Ferguson first started coaching at Millikan in 2009. The Rams had been without a championship for 22 years prior to Ferguson’s arrival.
Millikan hosted a tribute for Ferguson before the meet in honor of the final season of her gymnastics program. The tribute was attended by former gymnasts from Ferguson’s tenure at Millikan, including one from the beginning of her career.
“All these gymnasts came back, including a gymnast here from 16 years ago that came to say that she loves me,” Ferguson said. “But again, it’s not me though. It’s truly them.”
Esqueda made the podium in three of the four events and narrowly edged St. Joseph’s Katie Bell in the all-around scoring by just five-hundredths of a point. She took gold on bars, placed second on beam, and finished third on vault.
“When I saw her name on the sheet I was just so excited for her,” Ferguson said of Esqueda. “She always works hard and she’s just such a great person. She’s been with me since her sophomore year and she’s never won gymnast of the year. So for her to take it, it’s really exciting.”
Millikan’s Milan Blanco placed third overall and made two podium appearances. Sofia Barba finished fourth and was top five in every event.
St. Joseph was led by Katie Bell, who finished second overall with a 36.100. Bell took home gold on vault, beam, and floor.
When the Rams heard their name called one last time, the gymnasts rushed to Ferguson for a group hug. Tears fell across a handful of faces—not because of the win, but because of the lasting relationships built over the history of the Millikan gymnastics program.
“It’s the connection with the girls,” said Ferguson. “It’s not about the trophy. It’s just about living life with them and hearing their ridiculous stories and drama everyday. I’m going to miss that. I’m going to miss seeing them everyday.”
“I made bonds with people I never would’ve talked to if I didn’t join gymnastics,” added Esqueda. “And I’m always gonna miss Ferg and everything she’s taught me. I stayed [in gymnastics here] for her and a lot of us have stayed just for her. I feel like I won it for her. I won for her.”
Varsity Results:
All-Around:
1st – Eva Esqueda, Millikan, 36.150
2nd – Katie Bell, St. Joseph, 36.100
3rd – Milan Blanco, Millikan, 35.200
4th – Sofia Barba, Millikan, 34.600
5th – Camilla Islas, St. Joseph, 34.250
Vault:
1st – Katie Bell, St. Joseph, 9.50
2nd – Avery Phelps, St. Joseph, 9.15
3rd – Eva Esqueda, Millikan, 9.10
4th – Sela Ju, St. Joseph, 9.00
5th – Sofia Barba, Millikan, 8.90
Bars:
1st – Eva Esqueda, Millikan, 9.15
2nd – Milan Blanco, Millikan, 9.10
3rd – Camila Islas, St. Joseph, 9.00
4th – Liliana Pirona, St. Joseph, 8.15
5th – Sofia Barba, Millikan, 8.05
Beam:
1st – Katie Bell, St. Joseph, 9.80
2nd – Eva Esqueda, Millikan, 9.00
3rd – Sofia Barba, Millikan, 8.75
4th – Sela Ju, St. Joseph, 8.65
5th – Liliana Pirona, St. Joseph, 8.35
Floor:
1st – Katie Bell, St. Joseph, 9.70
2nd – Milan Blanco, Millikan, 9.30
3rd – Sela Ju, St. Joseph, 9.15
4th – Camilla Islas, St. Joseph, 9.00
T-5th – Eva Esqueda (Millikan), Sofia Barba (Millikan), Jessica Peterson (Millikan), 8.900
