LIBERTY TOWNSHIP – Darke County’s first-ever high school gymnastics team is going to the state championships.

The Versailles High School gymnastics team took first place out of 12 teams at the Ohio High School Athletic Association district tournament held Saturday at Lakota East High School, finishing 4.95 points ahead of second place team, Miamisburg. Both Versailles and Miamisburg will represent the Southwest District in the OHSAA team championships on Friday at Hilliard-Bradley High School.

The win at districts caps off an undefeated season for the Tigers, and they are now one of only 12 teams in the entire state to qualify to state championships.

The Tigers also had success in the individual competition, which included 90 gymnasts from 28 area schools. The top six on each event and the all-around qualify to the OHSAA individual state championships.

Versailles is sending three gymnasts to the individual state competition, which will be held at Hillard-Bradley High School on Saturday.

The individual qualifiers for Versailles are sophomore Jadyn Barga who won the all-around with a score of 36.675, placed second on balance beam, third on uneven bars and vault and fifth on floor exercise; sophomore Madison Ahrens who placed fifth all-around with a 35.95, second on vault and floor and is the first alternate for bars; and senior Katelyn Kingrey who placed fifth on bars and is the first alternate for beam and all-around.

This year’s talented Tiger team is rounded out by freshman Ellie Barga who placed 15th all-around, junior Jorja Pothast who is coming back from an ankle injury and was limited to only competing bars and beam and freshman Jada Barlage who is a newcomer to the sport of gymnastics and has shown impressive improvement competing on both vault and floor this season.

Event information and schedules for this weekend’s OHSAA gymnastics championships can be found online at ohsaa.org.