Highlanders gymnastics program aims for consistency on mats

Any conversation about the history of high school gymnastics in the Spokane area must include the prominent role played by Shadle Park High School in the early years of state competition.

Linda Scott, Linda Sullivan, Patty Rautio and Laurie Bremer may just be names in Shadle’s athletic archives now, but they and others, especially coach Lyle Pugh, helped build a rich tradition in the sport at Shadle.

It’s been a while since the Highlanders have enjoyed the level of success they experienced back then, but one thing that hasn’t changed at Shadle is an emphasis on stability in the program – current coach Stoyan Katzarski is in his eighth year – assuring that Shadle gymnasts have not only the opportunity to compete but to feel good while they’re doing it.

When it comes to wins, losses and state qualifiers, Katzarski says, tradition isn’t as much of a factor as who’s on the mats, and the Highlanders have been rebuilding for the past two seasons after losing seven seniors during that time.

“We have a lot of younger girls right now,” he said, “but they are improving and getting ready to take over a leadership role in the future. We have only two seniors this year, so we’ll be seeing most of the same faces next year. Our younger kids have a lot of potential to become outstanding gymnasts.”

Shadle’s turnouts have been consistently high, he says, even while many schools have experienced the opposite trend.

“I think that promoting the sport, making it enjoyable for the girls, makes a difference,” he said. “It gives them the chance to feel good about themselves and accomplish a lot. Maybe that’s why some programs are down in numbers. Some schools have coaches coming and going and don’t have the chance to build that trust between coaches and kids.”

Typical of most prep programs on the East Side, most of Shadle’s gymnasts come from a club background and decided when they entered high school to give that up in favor of interscholastic competition. Katzarski said that it’s not uncommon in the Seattle area for girls to compete at both the club and school levels, but Shadle currently has only one doing that.

“It’s really a challenge for girls to do both. (Sophomore) Kali Young is doing both because she loves to train year-round. I encourage the girls to do as much as they can after the school season, but once you give up club, you give it up. It’s hard, because if you want to be good, you need to find a way to practice year-round.”

He also points out that a strong club background isn’t a guarantee of success at the high school level. Different rules, different floors and the emphasis on team rather than individual performance all require an adjustment that doesn’t always come easily for girls new to school programs.

Shadle Park competes in the 4A regional meet this weekend and the state championships are Feb. 16-17 in the Tacoma Dome. Katzarski has several girls he thinks have a chance to get there.

“Jordon Stickelmeyer has been really strong on vault recently, and Kali Young and Melissa Edmunds have competed well in the all-around,” he said.

Stickelmeyer and Sandy Jones are Shadle’s only seniors, while Young and Edmunds are sophomores.