More practice for good season

By Dean Wong

With a smaller team than in past years, the Ballard Beavers gymnasts are looking forward to more quality practice time and a good season.

The team has 19 girls and this allows teammates to spend more time on the beam, floor, vault and bars.

Senior Jayna Lehman has been the team's top gymnast in the last three years and has been using practices to hone her skills, while passing helping her teammates.

"All our returners are strong. We have some new freshmen," said Lehman.

Head Coach Stephanie Gundel says her team is performing well and are still working on the four events, beam, floor, vault and bars.

Lehman went to state last year, finishing 9th in the vault. Gundel will be counting on Lehman again this season.

"She (Lehman) has some new skills, she will do well," said Gundel.

Lehman spent her summer working out at Seattle Pacific University.

"I'm trying to stay consistent with a vault routine that got me to state," she said.

Last year, Lehman perfected a tsuk vault, where she does a round-off onto the horse and completes it with a back flip. The more challenging routine earned her more points.

Sophomore Johanna Juarez also went to state.

"She is doing good and is adding a new vault and new bar routine," said Gundel.

Juarez is developing an aerial on the beam, where she does a cartwheel maneuver without touching the beam with her hands.

In an exhibition meet against Issaquah, Redmond and Bellevue last month, Juarez won the beam with a 9.2 score.

"I'm trying to go up a level, by adding new skills," said Juarez.

It will be more difficult to impress the judges this year with new scoring rules.

"They made the floor and the beam harder to get high scores," said Lehman, who is working a new bar routine.

Juarez said the smaller team the ability to do a lot better.

"With a smaller team you get more work done in practice and bond more," she said.

The team lost Kiva-White Espin, Julie Watson and Carolee Bevers to graduation.

Ballard was 7 and 3 in 2005/2006 and took fourth at the KingCo Championships.

Defending state title holder Bothell is expected to be tough again, along with Woodinville.

The rest of the schedule: Thursday, Jan. 4 Ballard at Lake Washington; Tuesday, Jan. 9, Inglemoor and Juanita at Ballard; Thursday, Jan. 11, versus Woodinville at Sammamish; Thursday, Jan. 18 at Ballard versus Redmond and Garfield; Thursday, Jan. 25, at Roosevelt against Roosevelt and Eastlake.

Dean Wong can be reached at dino@robinsonnews.com or 783.1244.