Big 3 goes out on top
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
It would’ve been understandable if Burlington-Badger-Wilmot’s “Big Three” of Molly Benavides and Bailey and Jenna Fitzpatrick had off days Saturday at the WIAA individual state gymnastics meet.
After all, roughly 12 hours earlier, on Friday night, the trio and the rest of the Demons missed out on the state team championship by the slimmest margin in state history.
The girls were in tears after the heart-breaking meet, knowing the possibility of state glory slipped through their fingers.
But the “Big Three” is called that for a reason. They are extraordinary athletes, and instead of letting their emotions get the best of them, they came out Saturday and dominated like only they know how.
Benavides won state titles on the vault (9.617) and beam (9.617) and just missed the all-around championship, and Jenna Fitzpatrick took home the state title on uneven bars (9.633).
It was the second beam and second vault titles for Benavides, and Jenna Fitzpatrick continued the family’s uneven bars tradition.
Bailey Fitzpatrick won gold in the all-around the last two years, but she tore two ligaments in her knee at sectionals and didn’t qualify for state in the vault.
Instead, Bailey competed Saturday in beam and bars, and a 9.533 on bars earned her fourth place. It was a gutsy two days for the junior, who competed with a large knee brace.
Jenna, who has competed in gymnastics ever since she was a toddler, took to the mats for the last time in her career. Jenna is one of three Burlington seniors.
“I performed my routine just about as good as I could do it, and I stuck my dismount,” Jenna Fitzpatrick said of her bars routine. “I went in there ready to lay everything out on the floor one last time. Since it was my last gymnastics meet ever, I really just wanted to have fun because I had nothing to lose.”
Jenna said it won’t be easy to lose Bailey as a teammate.
“She has been my teammate all my life and it’s such a strange feeling knowing I’ll never be competing out there again with her,” Jenna said. “Bailey has been the best teammate I’ve ever had with how much she’s pushed me and been there for me since day one.”
It’s also the end of the “Big Three” era. The tremendous trio has been the key force in three straight state runners-up finishes. They have combined for 26 individual state medals in the past three seasons.
Jenna will miss the trio’s special bond.
“It will be so weird not being able to compete with them anymore because we always did have such a great bond,” Jenna said. “The three of us always worked so well together, and we helped each other through so many things. I loved every minute of being able to compete with them, and I’m so excited to watch them and be their biggest fan next season.”
Historically close
The Demons stormed back after a shaky start at Friday’s team state tournament, but in the end suffered a heartbreaking defeat.
Burlington finished strong with an impressive vault routine and seemed on its way to making history. But the girls watched as three-time defending state champion Franklin did just enough on vault to beat Burlington by the slimmest of margins, 147.285-147.233.
It was the smallest margin of victory in team state history.
It was a three-horse race the entire meet, with Arrowhead taking third with a 146.484.
Burlington suffered an uncharacteristically low score on bars to start the meet but went on to win each of the next three events, culminating with a remarkable performance on vault.
Bailey Fitzpatrick wasn’t able to compete on vault, so Ciara Johnson stepped up in a big way.
The Badger High School senior did her first pike routine the previous week in practice, and Friday she tried it for the first time in competition. It paid off, as Johnson scored a 9.067. Catholic Central senior Jacquie Fiorillo followed with a 9.33, Jenna Fitzpatrick tallied a 9.45 and Benavides saved the best for last with a 9.683.
“I knew I had to pike,” Johnson said. “I knew I could do it, and I felt good about it.”
With Burlington’s day done, Franklin needed a 37.316 to beat the Demons. Thanks to a 9.667 and three scores in the 9.2s, the Sabers managed a 37.368 to barely edge the Demons.
“We left it all out there,” said Burlington coach Diane Biedrzycki. “The girls were comfortable starting on bars, but we made too many uncharacteristic mistakes. Bailey had to change her dismount due to her injury.”
Biedrzycki said the next event, beam, got the girls going, and then Bailey gutted it out on the floor.
By vault, the Demons were on fire.
“We went four up, and every score counted on vault,” Biedrzycki said. “We’re so proud of them. They wanted it, but we got in too much of a hole on bars.”
Biedrzycki said she knew Franklin was strong at vault and had a good chance to pass Burlington, and she said it was hard to have to sit and watch another team decide your fate.
Bailey Fitzpatrick started the week unable to do anything on the mat with her knee injury, and she needed to nurse her injury during the meet.
“She’s such a competitor, and she felt responsible for the team’s loss,” Biedrzycki said. “We never thought about having her in vault because it’s too hard on her knee. We weren’t going to risk her ACL.”
Overall, BBW finished second for the fourth straight year. But with injuries throughout the season to Bailey, Jenna, Fiorillo and more, and other setbacks, the Demons persevered. Burlington only had its full lineup for a few meets.
“To come this close is bittersweet,” Biedrzycki said. “There’s not a trio like Jenna, Bailey and Molly in the state. They’ve been a blessing. They set state records and were a joy to coach. People have complimented them on their work ethic. And Jacquie, Jenna and Ciara were great team leaders.”
Seniors say goodbye
Fiorillo, Johnson and Jenna Fitzpatrick may come from different schools, but their goal was the same Friday night. They wanted to finally take home that state title trophy.
“To get here was a really big achievement for us,” Fiorillo said. “We knew we could come back, and we killed it on vault. We went through so much this year, so it was nice to just get here.”
Fitzpatrick said the team’s bars routine was hard to overcome, but she was pleased with the overall performance.
“I can’t get over the 5 one-hundredths margin,” she said. “It was so close the entire meet. We went so hard on vault.”
The trio achieved unprecedented success the past four years, and it will be hard to let it go.
Fiorillo has competed in the sport since she was 4.
“I joined my sophomore year,” she said. “I consider all of the girls my best friends. That’s the best part about the team.”
For Johnson, who has competed in gymnastics since the age of 3, it was about the team.
“We’re a giant family,” she said as she fought back tears. “It will be hard not seeing them every day. I’m really proud of what we did today, and we gave it our all.”
Jenna Fitzpatrick said it was an unusual year with a ton of obstacles. It made the season that much more rewarding.
“I’ve been in gymnastics for 14 years,” she said. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m proud of how we all came together today.”
Fitzpatrick said the team’s chemistry is amazing, and the girls are friends away from the gym.
“We’re so close, and it makes it more fun when we compete,” she said. “We win together, and we lose together.”
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