Bears want berths
The district championship gymnastics meet is scheduled Friday at Central Valley High, and senior Courtney Sexton is concerned.
Monday’s practice was lost when the Central Valley School District canceled classes and Tuesday’s went the same way when the district closed school an hour early and canceled all after-school activities.
“We need the practice sessions,” she said Tuesday afternoon. “We need that time to get ready. Not that it isn’t good to get an extra day or two off, but we need every chance to work on our routines that we can get.”
Still, Sexton and the Bears aren’t falling behind their district competition. Snow has sidelined everyone.
Still, the Greater Spokane League gymnastics season is down to its final 17 days – the final push toward the state gymnastics meet at the Tacoma Dome, Feb. 15 and 16. After the district meet, the attention turns to the regional meet Feb. 8 at University High, where state tournament berths will be doled out with an eye-dropper: One team berth, two all-around berths and four individuals per event.
Despite beginning the season with a very young, inexperienced squad, the Bears, led by Sexton, once again figure to be in the thick of the battle for those berths.
“Coach (Kim) Brunelle always gets this team ready for the postseason,” Sexton said. “She is a wonderful coach, and she knows just about everything there is to know about gymnastics. I couldn’t ask for a better coach than Mrs. Brunelle.
“The one thing she’s always telling us is that we don’t have to be at our best for the first meet, or any league meet for that matter. We just have to be at our best for the postseason meets. That’s what counts in this league. And I think that’s why Central Valley is always right there at the end of the season.”
A senior at Gonzaga Prep, which does not have a gymnastics program, Sexton has been a formidable, four-year varsity competitor at CV. She was an All-GSL selection on the vault and a second-team pick on the balance beam a year ago. She was an All-GSL pick in the floor exercise after her sophomore season.
“I love going to school at Prep,” she said. “And having to drive from school to CV for practice is actually a nice break. Most days, I only miss about the first 15 minutes of practice, and everyone is very supportive about it.”
Despite not seeing her teammates during the day, Sexton says she feels extremely close to her teammates.
“We have a lot of good, young freshmen on the team this year, and I think they’ve come a long way this season,” she said. “Helping them learn and helping them to get better really helps you with your own routine. I’m really proud of all of them.
“We’re all very good friends, and we’re all very supportive of one another. I think it’s worked out really well.”
One freshman she’s especially proud of is her sister, Mackenzie. The siblings tied for third on the balance beam in a late-season meet with Mead, each scoring an 8.45.
“It’s been great to have her on the team this year,” she said. “We get along really well and are very close – and competing together is fun. We’re able to help each other quite a bit.”
This season Sexton has placed first in all four events in at least one meet and was the top all-around gymnast in a nonleague meet with GSL regular-season champion University in December.
Sexton, junior Brittney Szoke and sophomore Emma Vidmar have been the Bears most consistent gymnasts. In the final meet of the season, with Ferris, Lakeside and Rogers, Sexton and Vidmar each placed first in an individual event – Sexton on the vault and Vidmar on the beam.
Freshman Lauren Speers has come on strong in the floor exercise, placing third in three meets thus far this season. Junior Jaymie Balcom placed second on the beam in the final meet.
“We’ve come so far as a team this year,” Sexton said. “I’m really excited for the group that will be coming back for Mrs. Brunelle next year. She’s going to have a lot more experience coming back next year than she had this year. Next year this group is going to be very good.”
For herself, Sexton said, the next few weeks will bring an end to her gymnastics career.
“I started when I was really young – I think I was about 3 when I first started out,” she said. “It’s going to be awfully hard to give it up, but I think I’m done. At least as a competitor. I don’t think I can ever really give the sport up. I want to continue as a coach and work with young kids and help teach them.
“I’m looking forward to that.”