MOULTRIE — Despite having to compete in the toughest of three qualifying meets, the Colquitt County High gymnastics team finished second on Friday at Lovett School in Atlanta and advances to the state meet.

The Lady Packers will return to Atlanta on Friday for the state championships, to be held at Westminster School.

Colquitt placed sixth at the state meet last year.

Teams competed in three qualifying meets on Friday with the top two in each advancing to the state meet. The top four girls in each event and in the all around also advance.

Milton High of Alpharetta took first place at the Lovett qualifying meet with a 110.875. Colquitt was second with a 109.025, beating out Carrollton, which has a 106.55, and North Springs High of Atlanta, which had a 106.4.

The other two qualifying meets were at Tucker High and Dunwoody High.

“We knew the competition would be tough since the top teams in the state were in our area meet,” coach Donna Marshall said. “The top score at one of the other areas was a 106-something.

“The third and fourth score in our area beat the score at another.”

Marshall said her team was nervous about the competition, but that that each girl did her part.

“I am extremely proud of them,” Marshall said. “The team worked hard and pulled together.”

Two members of the Colquitt County team qualified for the state meet on individual events as well as the all round.

Leah May was second all around and Meghan Marshall was fourth.

“Our team was the only team to have more than one girl qualify for the all around competition,” Donna Marshall said.

Donna Marshall said her team was solid on the beam and that its performance there made the difference in qualifying for the state meet.

“We were actually on the beam for the last rotation and the girls knew what they had to do in order to get us to state,” she said.

May led Colquitt County with a 9.7 in a routine that her coach said “took your breath away.” The score broke her record on the beam.

Meghan Marshall was second on beam with a 9.3 Krista Wood had an 8.75 and Temira Davis scored a 7.8.

May was fourth on bars with a 9.45. Marshall had an 8.5; Wood, an 8.45; and Kaitlin Tucker, an 8.25.

Marshall was fourth in the vault, posting a 9.4. May had a 9.1; Tucker, an 8.65; and Crystal Blizzard, an 8.4.

Marshall was second on floor with a 9.7.

“Meghan’s floor is consistently strong,” Donna Marshall said. “She broke her record on floor with a 9.7. Meghan’s grace and execution were top-notch.”

May was third with a 9.575 on floor. Wood had an 8.45. Dampier had an 8.12.

This is the second year in a row that the Colquitt County team has qualified for the state meet after an absence of two years. Last year, Colquitt was sixth with a 101.57. Roswell took the state championship with a 107.525. Marshall was third on vault and fourth on floor.

Colquitt County had a three-year run from 2000-2002 in which it competed in the state meet.

The Lady Packers were sixth in 2000; third, with a 105.050, in 2001; and fourth, with a 105.400, in 2002.

Those teams were led by Natalie Bevacqua, who was fourth on beam in 2000; fourth on bars, floor and all around in 2001; and fourth on floor, third on bars and all around and second on vault in 2002.