Making A Lasting Impression Three-Time State Qualifier Linerud Poised To Make Final Trip To State

Nobody from around here blinks twice when Lindsay Linerud places in the floor exercise.

But the Port Angeles gymnastics coach wasn’t buying it when Linerud placed on floor at last month’s PA invitational.

“What’s she doing here?” the incredulous woman asked Linerud’s coach at Central Valley, Kim Brunelle.

“I said she was a senior and she said, ‘Oh, no, she can’t be,”’ Brunelle said.

Linerud’s long, steady prep career has a way of sneaking up on people.

Depending one one’s perspective it seems like yesterday, or forever ago, when Linerud placed on floor at the State AAA meet.

Linerud was a freshman at the time. She also placed at state on the balance beam as a sophomore, then qualified for state as a junior.

This weekend, in Kennewick, Linerud attempts to qualify for her fourth consecutive state meet. Odds favor Linerud after her successful district-meet performance last weekend.

Linerud won the balance beam competition at district, placed third on the vault, tied for fifth on floor and tied for fourth in the all-around. Her efforts were instrumental in CV winning its first district meet in more than a decade.

Linerud, who entered district puzzled by recent efforts on the “mind-challenging” beam, nailed her routine to tally the lone score of 9.0 or better by any gymnast at any district event. She competed well despite battling migraine headaches all week.

“She’s never an overachiever,” Brunelle said, “she’s a sure achiever. She knows the direction she wants to go and will do whatever she sets her mind to do.”

The Lineruds lived next door to Brunelle when Lindsay was born. Brunelle taught gymnastics to 5-year-old Lindsay a few years after taking over as Bears head coach.

Brunelle receives great assistance from Linerud during practices, but dispensing advice to CV’s young gymnasts isn’t one of the duties.

“I don’t try to be the coach,” Linerud coach. “I don’t go for that because I’m not the coach.”

Linerud’s parents were CV graduates. Brother Justin, a former CV wrestler, and Lindsay inherited their athletic traits from dad. Lindsay’s musical attributes, on piano and violin, come from the mother.

“I love music but I haven’t had much time to fit it into my schedule,” said Linerud, who holds down two part-time jobs.

Linerud’s favorite subject, English, may help her launch a career writing children’s books. Little is set in stone, however, in Linerud’s long-range plans.

“She doesn’t stress out about things,” Brunelle said. “You tell her she has to do this and this and this and she’ll say, ‘OK,’ and do it.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IV-4A gymnastics Time: 2 p.m. Saturday Place: Southridge High in Kennewick Area’s competing teams: University, Central Valley, Ferris, North Central Defending champion: U-Hi Defending individual champions (GSL): Tara Hulbert, U-Hi, uneven bars and vault; Kacey Frederickson, Ferris, floor exercise. At stake: The top team, the top two all-arounds not from the qualifying team, and the top five in each event not from the qualifying team advance to the Feb. 20-21 state meet in Tacoma.