Panthers raise the bar

As last season wound down, it became apparent that Mead would likely be the class of Greater Spokane League gymnastics in 2004-05.

With four all-leaguers returning, the Panthers promised to have the necessary depth, as well as skill, for individual and team excellence.

Then, last spring, the transfer of returning first-team all-arounder Kaila Evenoff from Shadle Park to Mead all but guaranteed it.

“There’s four teams fighting for second place behind Mead,” Central Valley head coach Kim Brunelle said. “There isn’t anybody that can touch them because of sheer numbers. We’re feeling lucky to have five good all-around gymnasts. They have 10.”

It helps to bring back the core of a team that placed fourth at state last year.

Mead returns senior co-captain Kristina Schramm, first team on bars and second team and eighth in state on the beam; senior co-captain Micaline Tomeo, first team on beam and second team on bars and floor; sophomore Ashley Dotson, first team on beam and vault and second team on bars; and sophomore Tonya Turner, second team on the floor.

“They’re all back,” Mead head coach Amanda Workman said. “We had a great year last year, and our hopes are high this year. If there’s anything we have, it’s talent.”

Evenoff’s addition, almost as important, has done nothing to rock the boat.

“We really knew nothing about her when she came in,” Workman said of the senior, who finished in a tie for 11th all-around at state last year. “She’s a great asset to the team. She has that leadership quality. More than her being a good gymnast, we’re happy she’s a good person.”

Early results have proven the Panthers’ expectations are legitimate.

After the first round of meets, Mead’s team score of 171.91 outdistanced any other team by more than seven points.

Not that there isn’t talent throughout the rest of the league.

“I really see there being five pretty strong teams,” Ferris head coach Jaime Smith said. “It should be really strong second place through fifth place.”

Shadle, which finished fifth at state last year after winning the league and district championships, doesn’t have the individual gymnast to replace Evenoff, but has the team depth to remain near the top of the league.

“We lost one of our strongest,” Shadle coach Stoyan Katzarski said of Evenoff. “But they are very motivated and we’ve got a couple of new additions that will make up for it. I think we will do OK without her. Of course we will miss her, but we’ve got to move on.”

In their first meet, which included Ferris, the Highlanders had only one individual champion, but outscored the Saxons 163.325-160.75 on the strength of their depth.

Ferris, on the other hand, has the individual gymnasts, but is looking to fill out its squad.

“We are really strong with Lindsey (Haney), Ashley (DeCataldo) and Kaysha (Bowton),” Smith said. “But we have a couple injuries and girls recovering from sicknesses. We’ll make a lot of improvements.”

CV returns junior first-team all-around Maya Morgan, who finished tied for 11th all-around at state, and the Bears posted the second-highest team score during the first round of meets.

University gets back junior Kayla McGahey, who was first team on bars and second team on the vault.

Two schools finishing in the bottom half of the league last season welcome in new coaches.

Melissa Binder steps in at Lakeside, which finished second in the 3A tournament in 2002 and was sixth in the GSL last year. Mt. Spokane will be coached by Michelle McMillan, who looks to turn around a 0-9 Wildcats squad from 2004.