Ready To Peak With Final Competitions Of The Season At Hand, Central Valley Gymnasts Aim To Be In Top Form

Lindsay Linerud and Sarah Shyrack were season-long leaders for the Central Valley High gymnastics team.

But part of CV’s surprising success this year came from the fact the team had an unusually large number of contributors, many of them freshmen.

During CV’s 15-6 season, in which the Bears totaled more than 160 points in several meets, as many as 12 different team members figured in the scoring.

“Our freshmen were just outstanding,” said coach Kim Brunelle. “These little stinkers keep coming on like gangbusters.”

Many of them will be a part of next Saturday’s regional meet at University High. The Catch-22 is that just one team and seven individuals per event this year will qualify to state.

Greater Spokane League gymnastics has never been better. League-unbeaten University, the Bears and Ferris are all ranked among the state’s best.

Yet the young Bears will have to perform career highs to make it.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Brunelle. “Out of all the years to have such low numbers…”

Reduced numbers likely won’t effect Linerud, a junior. She has been a seventh-place state finisher in different events her first two years at Central Valley.

Linerud began working last summer and didn’t practice much during the off season.

“I started out slow,” said Linerud. “I had to get into the swing of things - that’s my main excuse.”

That is if a career high 35.6 four-event score, two all-around titles, three seconds and efforts no lower than fourth during seven meets constitutes slow.

Shryack, a floor exercise state qualifier last year, picked up her all-around performance, finishing among the top five in four meets and as high as second.

“It’s the stress of being a senior,” she said. “You have to do well.”

She scored 33.7 for an all-around best in the four events, floor exercise, balance beam, vault and uneven bars.

“I could have scored 34.0 five times but every time blew one event,” she said.

In the league finale it was beam in which she fell twice, losing a full point.

“I fell only three times this year,” she said.

Both Bear team leaders are former Northwest Gymnastics Academy club gymnasts. Shryack began at age four, influenced by a cousin who competed at Shadle Park High. She quit in seventh grade at level 6 and didn’t return to gymnastics until her freshman year.

Linerud was a neighbor of Brunelle’s, who at the time was teaching at Bleker’s School of Dance and Gymnastics, the forerunner of NWGA.

“She was the teeniest, muscle-bound pill,” said Brunelle, of the active 5-year-old. “Her mom knew she needed something to do and brought her to a Saturday class.”

Linerud reached level 8 before giving up club and reuniting with Brunelle at CV.

“I quit when I hit my peak,” said Linerud. “I didn’t think I could get better, although I probably could have.”

The two Bears prepare for meets together, either by performing Yoga, to focus and relax, or a shared prayer before an event.

Central Valley’s team is into gaining a mental edge, including written goal-setting. Notes, said the athletes, are stuck everywhere the girls might be. It has wreaked havoc on school lockers.

“I didn’t expect them to write on every portion of metal,” said Brunelle.

But it has paid off. Returnees and freshmen, like Lindsay Zacher, have improved weekly.

Linerud and Shryack have had superb years.

“We should do fairly well at state,” said Linerud. “It depends upon the day.”

The next two weeks, at regionals and state, is the time for the athletes to be on top of their routines.

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