In this instant gratification era, where yesterday is the new yesteryear, it figured that Saturday's Class 2A gymnastics individual championships more than lived up to the suspense of Friday's team competition, where the three teams at the top were separated by a mere six-tenths of a point.

Heading into the final rotation, less than a half-point separated as many as a half-dozen gymnasts vying for the coveted all-around championship. Mix in the fact that the meet started nearly an hour late because of delays during the Class 1A meet in the afternoon and stir with the gymnastics tradition of not announcing winners until they're called to the podium and you had a Saturday night stew thickened with uncertainty.

After a wait of nearly 45 minutes, the winner was finally announced.

Rogers' Sabrina Hoover, the defending champion, eked out a victory over Park of Cottage Grove sophomore Kasondra Tulloch. Hoover finished with a score of 38.425, .05 better than Tulloch's 38.375. And if that wasn't enough, third-place winner Rachel Deephouse of Park finished with a score of 38.3, and there was a tie between three girls for the final three spots on the podium, all with scores of 38.2.

"There were just so many good gymnasts at this meet," Rogers coach Jen Bartlett said. "You kept waiting for one to fall off, but they didn't."

A cold-blooded balance beam routine by Hoover -- the final routine of the entire meet -- gave her the title. With every other competitor having completed her meet, all eyes were on Hoover, the championship hanging in the balance. She came through, as she has many times before, with the best balance beam score of the night, a 9.7

Jeff Rivers, Star Tribune
Rogers' Sabrina Hoover

"I've been doing these routines since I was in seventh grade," Hoover said. "I'm comfortable with them. And I guess I'm good under pressure."

In the other events, Stillwater's Chloe Leuma won the vault, Northfield's Meaghan Howell won the uneven bars and North St. Paul's Julia Stedman won the floor exercise.

JIM PAULSEN