A flipping-good time was shared by all in a gymnastics dual meet between Kennedy and Mount Rainier, as the visiting Lancers came away with the all-around winner in freshman Charlotte Ditmar while the Rams earned the team win in blow-out fashion, 148-130.75, last Tuesday, Jan. 13.

A full crowd on hand watching from the bleacher seats of the gymnastics gymnasium at Mount Rainier’s beautiful, large, newly-built school watched the Rams’ depth go higher on the placement board.

The top five scores for each event are tallied for points. The Rams had more of the third, fourth, fifths and firsts, in the bars, floor, beam, vault, to explain their victory over their rival.

“We’re a young team,” said Lancers head coach Kim Katzenberger, whose gymnastics team is near the top of the Seamount standings year in, year out, including last year. The ones that beat them last year were the Rams. But the two share that top spot a lot.

“We have a lot of freshmen,” said Katzenberger. “Our top gymnast is out, too.”

The top gymnast would be Gwen Smithberg, who won state in 3A last year but can’t compete this season because of a foot injury requiring surgery.

Maybe consolation for Smithberg can be that a teammate, Ditmar, will, perhaps, be right up there with the best come state time, Feb. 20-21 at the Tacoma Dome.

Ditmar, a freshman, won the all-around competition over Rams sophomore Nikita Ginnett, 34.15-33.25, in adding up the four scores for each of the events, bar, floor, beam and vault.

Taking first surprised Ditmar some.

“Kind of,” said Ditmar. “Because Nikita is really good, too.”

Ditmar took second in the vault with an 8.2 to winner Symantha Murray’s 8.35. Ginnett was third (8.1). Ditmar took second on the beam with an 8.45 to Ginnett’s winning 8.85. And rounding out the events, Ginnett won floor with a 9.5 to Ditmar’s 9.4.

The Rams got not only a first from Murray in the vault and a third from Ginnett, but also a fourth from Olivia Bement (8.0). In bars, after Ditmar’s first for Kennedy, it was Ginnett second (6.8), Brianna Stoutenburg third (6.4), Murray fourth (6.3), and Bement fifth (5.95). On beam, Ditmar got second and a teammate fifth, but the Rams took first (Ginnett), and also third was Bement, (7.15), fourth Kara Young (7.10) and sixth Murray (6.85). Floor routine depth showed the Rams getting first (Ginnett), third (Murray), fifth (Bement) and sixth (Stoutenberg).

Katzenberger has a good number of girls on her team, around 20, but the Rams have double that number and then some. It may contribute to that overall depth of victory that the Rams had in this one.

“We have a lot of first-year gymnasts,” said Rams coach Raquel Murray, assisted by Tasia Slish.

Forty-seven are on the Rams’ team altogether, a good mix of all classes.

“I’m not really a gymnast, more swim and dive,” Veronica Castill, in her first year on the Rams’ gymnastics team as a senior. “Everyone’s different and makes it fun.”

Murray and Slish are young themselves leading this program, Slish is an ‘08 Rams grad and Murray graduated in 2005.

“We are young,” said Slish. “I think being young helps us understand the girls.”

“I said to myself ‘Who am I to deny these kids an after school activity,’” said Murray. “They are so proud when they do a handstand or a cartwheel. They run up to us and say, ‘Look what I did.’”

“They are willing to go for it,” said Slish. “They have no fear trying new things.”

“In practice, we have studying and tutoring,” said Murray. “We will set up tables. We stress more grades and homework than sports.”

Sounds like you’re putting a lot of time in?

“We could talk about our girls all day long,” said Slish. “They practice for two hours a day, but they stay for six.”

For being that young, what about school and things?

“I plan on going to college for the spring quarter,” said Murray.

So your life’s on hold right now, spending time helping these girls?

“Yes,” she said.

Also helping is Ali Kestle, who used to be the head coach, so the experienced coaching element is there, too, according to Slish.

“She is a volunteer coach now,” said Slish. And Kestle was having fun out there, hugging girls after beam routines and so this coaching trio seems like a good thing. The Rams have one loss this season, to Lindbergh, which is helped by Maggie O’Connor, a former Kennedy gymnast.

Tyee was competing against Hazen in a separate dual meet. Thuy-My Nguyen took fifth in the vault and Cathy Jiminez sixth on the floor.

That team is working hard, too, although not winning meets. And is winning as important as learning? And there were smiles on the faces of the Totems’ girls, too. Stephanie Johnson, Carrie Floodeen, Sarah Melchor, Jiminez, Nguyen, and the 10-12 total which was a good number for them.