Gymnastics, wrestling and swimming ready to bring home gold.
After the team meeting before gymnastics practice Tuesday, head coach Cindy Guy handed out a bag of peanut M&Ms to the girls that scored at least a 9.0.
The tradition dates back to when Guy started at Bainbridge High School as the gymnastics coach in 1979 and Guy’s husband handed out bags of the popular candy to gymnasts who scored a nine, which was rare in those days because many gymnasts on the team were still learning about the sport.
Twenty-eight years, one lengthy winning streak, several individual state titles and one team state title later, the Bainbridge gymnastics program has improved by leaps and bounds.
They’re among the favorites to win something far greater than candy – their second title in three years at the 2007 2A/3A State gymnastics meet at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall this weekend.
With 167.8 points scored at last week’s 3A District 1 and 2 meet, Bainbridge is fifth in the team scores behind Issaquah, Newport, Columbia River and Auburn Riverside.
Just 5.375 points separate the Spartans from the Eagles, the district 1/2 champs.
Guy said they worked on incorporating new skills into the girls’ routines to help shore them up and include some new wrinkles to make up those five points that can be the difference between a title and second place.
She said they’ve also worked on increasing their bar scores as Talia Weiss, Lauren Fleming, Kathleen Callahan and Annie Zuckerman practiced harder routines this week.
Guy also said that Katie Mathews and Eva Fazzini increased their vault difficulty while Fleming and Callahan worked on adding skills to their floor routines.
“If everybody can add five-tenths (of a point) to their routines, then that would be really cool,” she said.
One person who has all the little things working at the right time is Marie Welsh.
The junior won last week’s district all-around title with a new school record of 38.0 and set three more school records in the vault, floor and bars.
It’s her third straight appearance at state, as she finished third in the all-around as a freshman and as a sophomore last year.
Her score is the best out of all other gymnasts that will compete in the individual events, including Kennedy’s Anissa Madrid, who won two individual titles last year and split a third with Welsh.
She’ll get competition from Madrid, Columbia River’s Sysco Nieto, Ashley Perkovich from Auburn Mountainview along with the foursome from West Seattle, but assistant coach Lorry Gilbreath said she’s come into this year with more focus.
“She’s really motivated this year,” she said. “She realizes that she does have a shot at possibly being recruited, so I think that’s give her a little more motivation.”
Welsh said she’s not going to think too much about being thought of as a lock for the title.
“I’m not trying to worry about it (the pressure),” she said. “It’s bad if you get caught up in it.
“(The) people (that) think I’m going to win and (the) people that want me to win, I just let that pass me (by.) What I hope (to do) is my personal best,” Welsh continued.
Samstag said they won’t panic if they don’t take it all.
“I just want us to do our best,” the senior co-captain said.
“I think we’ll do great. We’ve been working hard all season.”
Guy said performing at night will be easier on them as well.
“I think we’re the most prepared team (out there,)” she said. “Hopefully our depth and level of preparation will shine through.
Guy isn’t worried about the pressure of the big meet getting to them either.
“I don’t think we’re scared of being there, so I don’t think we’re going to freeze out there,” she said. “I think we’ll just keep our normal having fun and stay light attitude and just go for it.”
The 2A/3A team rotation started yesterday. The individual finals start at 12:20 p.m. today with all the awards to be handed out soon after.
Lone wolf
Peter Paskell won’t have that luxury of having his teammates there with him, however
The senior is the lone qualifier from Bainbridge for Mat Classic XIX this weekend at the Tacoma Dome.
He’ll compete in the 3A 145-pound category.
Head coach Dan Pippinger said Paskell will be competitive as the way he wrestles is different from other prep grapplers.
“In some ways, he’s got a unique style that is hard for some people to adjust to,” he said. “It just works for him.
Pippinger said that Paskell isn’t strong, but has the speed necessary to make that one move to score points when he needs to.
“Peter knows what he does well. He’s confident doing the things he does well and he’s persistent in those things.”
Paskell said he was surprised that some of his teammates didn’t make it with him, but he said the top talent from that region made it a lot tougher.
But he also said he’ll be ready to go.
“I want to do as best as I possibly can,” he said. “Just being there is an accomplishment, but I want to go past that. I definitely hope to place.”
At press time, Paskell lost to Everett’s Cole Anderson by pinfall in his opening match yesterday.
He needed to beat Josh Barnert of Yelm to advance to today’s consolation match starting at 8:40 a.m.
Making a splash
Austin Hallett and Olaf Olson are among the favorites to win individual titles at the 2A/3A State meet at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way this weekend.
Hallett said he’s ready for the intensity of State.
“My freshman year my mom said ‘you’re a freshman, so just go out there and have fun,’” he said. “So that’s what I did.
“Now (my) junior year rolls around, and I’m ranked second (in both my races) and I feel like, hey, he’s the only guy in front of me and a state title. Why let him be there?”
The junior is ranked second on the psych sheet in the 100 freestyle behind Zach Schaub of Selah and second in the 100 backstroke behind Zach Ponchene of Ellensburg
Olson and Clark, who have been finishing 1-2 during Metro and district diving competitions the past few weeks, look to do the same this weekend.
Olson, the defending champ, is considered the favorite to repeat, with his main competition in last year’s runner-up, Beau Riebe of Mercer Island.
All three relay teams are in thanks to the state times they’ve set over the season, but they have some ground to make up.
The 200 medley relay is seventh on the psych sheet, nearly four seconds behind Kennedy.
The 200 freestyle relay is 15th, over four seconds behind the leader in Mercer Island, while the 400 freestyle relay is 15th as well.
They’re 11 seconds behind the relay team of Mercer Island.
“Most of the kids are pretty loose,” head coach Kaycee Taylor said. “We feel pretty comfortable. Part of it, I think, stems from a lot of rest.
“They’ll also have the excitement of, ‘hey, this is the big meet.’
The prelims were yesterday.
The finals start at 5:30 p.m. tonight and go until 9 p.m.
