Morgan Korf, a junior who led the Rockford-Sparta high school gymnastics team to the MHSAA Division 1 state championship before capturing an all-around individual state title last week, has been named Meijer-97.9 WGRD High School Athlete of the Week.

Rockford-Sparta high school gymnast Morgan Korf shows her style on the balance beam. (Photo: Todd Chatman/Xcipio Photography)
Rockford-Sparta high school gymnast Morgan Korf shows her style on the balance beam. (Photo: Todd Chatman/Xcipio Photography)
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On Friday in Rockford, Korf and teammates Madi Myers and Nicole Coughlin helped lead Rockford-Sparta to the MHSAA Division 1 team title.

Korf scored 37.8 points in the four disciplines -- uneven parallel bars, balance beam, floor exercise and vault, Myers had 37.825 and Coughlin had 36.575 as Rockford-Sparta scored 147.975 points, edging Canton (146.225) and Grand Ledge (141.75) with Forest Hills sixth and Kenowa-Grandville-West Catholic ninth. Other members of Rockford-Sparta's titlists include Ally Case, Megan DiLeo, Kaitie Killinger, Carly Coughlin, Danae Lokers and Eve Hillman.

It is the second state gymnastics title by a Rockford program, with the first one snagged in 1989.

She took third-place on the balance beam (9.375 points) and uneven parallel bars (9.5), fifth in the floor exercise (9.5) and sixth on the vault (9.4). She finished 0.125 point ahead of Grosse Pointe United's Isabelle Nguyen for the title, with Rockford-Sparta teammate Nicole Coughlin tying for fifth in the all-around. It was an improvement from Korf's 18th place finish at the state championships her sophomore year and 11th place as a freshman.

"I didn't fall in anything. ...," Korf told The Grand Rapids Press/MLive. "One last routine on everything and I'm glad I nailed it."

Rockford-Sparta Co-Coach Ali Tran says Korf rose to the challenge this season when Myers got hobbled by injuries.

"With Madi injured, Morgan had to be a rock for us," Tran said. "In the past, she had struggled with confidence a little. I could see it on her face."

This season, though, Korf gained "composure," Tran said. "She's gotten cleaner on everything. ... But she's always pushed. She's always been looking to gain a point, shave a point. ... I've always seen in her that she could be a champion, or at least that caliber.

"This season, she stepped up to the plate. It was a burden and Morgan upped her skill level, and that was big. That really helped."

A straight-A student at Rockford High School, Korf's other activities include gymnastics in the summers with Rising Starz Gymnastics & Fitness, working with a youth group and a part-time job. She is the daughter of Angela and Brent Korf.

Congrats Morgan and Rockford-Sparta gymnastics from Meijer and WGRD as well as Channel 95.7, 100.5 The River, 98.7 WFGR and 1410 AM The Touch.

Rockford-Sparta celebrates capturing the MHSAA Division 1 state title in high school gymnastics on Friday at Rockford High School in Rockford. (Photo: Kristen Myers-Chatman/Xcipio Photography)
Rockford-Sparta celebrates capturing the MHSAA Division 1 state title in high school gymnastics on Friday at Rockford High School in Rockford. (Photo: Kristen Myers-Chatman/Xcipio Photography)
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