In its second season, the Olentangy Orange High School gymnastics team hasn't come close to matching its program record for most points in a meet.
 
The Pioneers scored a program-record 114.75 points last season but haven't scored more than 105.65 through three meets this season.
 
Despite the drop-off in scoring, coach Jen Hedrick said her team is performing better than it did last season.
 
"We have more girls contributing and we're competing better, but our scores don't show it because the judges have changed the requirements for (uneven) bars, and it's hurting everyone's scores, not just ours," Hedrick said. "It's hard to compare anyone's scores to what they were last year, because all of our bar scores are down. But based on the way our girls are performing, there's no doubt that we're a more competitive team than we were a year ago."
 
Orange scored 105.65 points to finish last of eight teams on Jan. 2 behind champion Hilliard Darby (124.55), as sophomore Molly Nathaniel placed sixth on floor exercise with a 8.35, scored 7.95 on vault, 7.5 on balance beam and 4.05 on bars.
 
Also scoring well on floor were Katelyn Daniels (7.5), Crystal Anderson (7.35) and Lysie Demme (7.15).
 
"Molly's been our leading performer, all-around, so far," Hedrick said.
 
"Lysie isn't an experienced gymnast, but she's clean and she's been scoring consistently well. Katelyn and Crystal are both first-year gymnasts who are doing really well."
 
Sophomore Kelly Schutte has been slowed by torn cartilage in her knee.
 
"Kelly can only compete on beam and bars now, and she isn't able to do all of her skills because of her knee," Hedrick said. "Kelly's still scoring well on the two events she can do, but she's going to have surgery in January or February and will miss the end of the season."
 
The Pioneers will have opportunities to improve on their team score Friday at Central Ohio Gymnastics when they compete against Olentangy, Buckeye Valley, Delaware and Grandview and Wednesday when they travel to Mount Vernon to compete against Big Walnut, Dublin Jerome and Mount Vernon.