PREP GYMNASTICS : SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS : Third Time Is the Charm for Collins

This is the third year that Ginger Collins of Los Alamitos has been the favorite heading into the Southern Section girls’ gymnastics finals. The past two, however, she finished second to Wendy Cohen of La Crescenta.

The scenario was much the same Saturday at the Southern Section championship meet at Los Angeles Westlake High. Collins won last week’s preliminary meet, but Cohen was waiting in the wings.

The finish was different. A dazzling performance in the floor exercise, the meet’s final event, lifted Collins to the all-around title with 37.15 points. Jenna Roberts of Los Angeles Marlborough finished second with 36.80. Cohen, the two-time defending champion, placed third with 36.45 points.

Collins, a senior, was the next-to-last competitor in the floor exercise, and she was aware she needed a 9.4 or better to win the overall title. The crowd cheered throughout her routine, and she scored a 9.7 to take the event and the all-around.

“I was so solid last week at the preliminaries that I was a little disappointed that I had a few mistakes today,” said Collins, who had minor falls on the uneven parallel bars and the balance beam. “But the floor exercise is my specialty, so I was confident I could get what I needed. I wanted to show the crowd what I could do.”

She also won the vault with a 9.4.

Although she is not sure if she will continue gymnastics next year at the University of Maryland, Collins, 18, has new motivation to carry on her athletic career.

Saturday’s meet was the last for Cohen, who is heading for Cal, and her third-place finish in the all-around brought tears.

Cohen fell behind when she finished last in the vault, the first event of the day, with an 8.6. Her best finish was a second in the floor exercise with a 9.5.

Courtney Davis of Rolling Hills won the balance beam with a 9.5. Westlake’s Lorin Bender won the uneven bars with a 9.45.

Saturday’s meet was for individual titles only. There is no team competition in the Southern Section.