APEX - Athens Drive junior Alyssa Tucker successfully defended her Tri-Nine Conference gymnastics all-around title with a score of 38.30 on one healthy ankle and one swollen.

Imagine what she could have done if she hadn't suffered a fractured left ankle on Dec. 2.

"I just wanted to see how I would do," Tucker said. "I didn't know what to expect. I would have been happy just getting through the meet."

Tucker tied for first in the bars with a 9.6 and was second in the vault with a 9.75. But on the floor, an event that put more pressure on her healing ankle, she was only ninth at 9.5. She tied for sixth in the beam at 9.45.

"I haven't been able to do most of the stuff in practice," said Tucker, explaining she entered the meet with more doubt than usual.

In the team competition of the Tri-Nine meet Friday night at Total Attraction Gymnastics, Apex was a surprise winner with a first-place score of 150.85 to Green Hope's second-place total of 150.20. Powerhouse and defending conference champ Lee County finished third-place with 146.20.

"They did a great job," Apex coach Monica Ward said of her team. "I told them at the beginning of the week they were the dark horse, but if they hit their routines and stuck their landings, we had a chance to win the meet."

The Cougars were led by a second-place all-around finish from senior Jordyn Volkan with a 38.20.

Volkan won the vault at 9.8, tied for sixth with Tucker in the beam at 9.45, was sixth in the floor at 9.55 and seventh in the bars at 9.40.

Apex senior Caroline Trezona also won an event with a 9.80 in the floor. She tied for fifth overall at 37.95.

Green Hope also had two individual winners. Shailyn Ramsey tied for first in the bars with Tucker with a 9.60 and tied for fifth in the all-around with Trezona at 37.95. Teammate Emilie Mathura won the beam at 9.75 but didn't score in two of the four events. A year ago Tucker won the all-around title with a significantly higher score 38.75, including three firsts and a second. Her event scores were bars, 10.0, first; beam, 9.80, first; floor, 9.45, first; and vault, 9.5, second.

When Tucker first injured her ankle a little more than seven weeks ago, it was thought to be a sprain. But when the swelling didn't go down, another examination on Jan. 11 discovered the fracture. Thus, Tucker had resumed practicing when the doctor said she should have been in a boot.

But Tucker didn't want to miss the Tri-Nine meet. She's a serious gymnast who is a national recruit, with interest from NCAA powers Oklahoma, Florida, LSU and Ohio University.

Recruiting interest picked up last summer following her performance in the Junior Olympic nationals in Long Beach, Calif.

Tucker, powerfully built at 5 feet 5 inches, says her hope is for a scholarship offer from Oklahoma.

"They have a great program and they have a good program for my major," Tucker said. "I want to be a theater major." With her acrobatic ability, maybe a remake of "Catwoman" is in her acting future.

Tucker's performance only led Athens Drive to a seventh-place team finish, but that's because she's the only member of the team. One would think she walks the halls of Athens Drive anonymously as a one-girl team.

But her success has been noted enough times in the media, including TV, that she has the recognition of a high-profile athlete on campus.

"Everyone once in a while someone will say, 'Hey, you're the person I saw on TV. You're really good,' ” said Tucker.

In other team finishes, Panther Creek was fourth, Holly Springs fifth and Cary sixth.