Posted: 12/8/04
Gymnastics returns a young team with experience
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Joe Drennan
Sports Editor
Forest Lake High School gymnastics coach Nancy Ellias is looking forward to this gymnastics season despite having a young team. Despite being a young team the Rangers have eight letter winners returning and two additions from club gymnastics that should carry the team through the season.
ìI think the main strength is in our returning letter winners,î Ellias said. ìEven though weíre young, there is a lot of potential and itís a matter of staying healthy and realizing that potential.î
Returning letter winners include captains Karine Becker, Jamie Essen and Katie Martin. Other letter winners are Kelsey Callahan, Janel Duffy, Ashley Morris, Nicole Paulson, Stephanie Sampair and Tasha Tyler.
Sophomore Chelsea Fitzmorris and freshman Chelsea Uram are joining the Rangers from their club teams.
Fitzmorris will compete in the vault, bars, beam, floor and all around competition. Fitzmorris is coming off knee surgery. Uram too will compete in the vault, bars, beam, floor and all around competition.
ìIt helps to have kids come in from club teams because they train all year round or extensively during the summer,î Ellias said. ìAny of the top perennial high school teams have a base of club gymnasts.î
Gymnasts competing in all the events, vault, bars, beam, floor and all around are captain Becker, seventh grader Taylor Brett, sophomore Duffy, sophomore Morris, sophomore Paulson, and Sampair.
Callahan will compete in the vault, bars, beam and floor but not the all around competition. Newcomer and freshman Amanda Claeson will compete on the beam and floor. Captain Essen will compete in the vault, beam and floor as will Tyler.
Cori Kettler and captain Martin will compete in the vault, bars and beam. Another newcomer, sophomore Teresa Mitsch will compete in the beam and floor. Junior Mandi Pringle will compete in the fault and floor and eighth grader Scotti Sampair will compete in the vault, bars, beam and floor.
One challenge for the Rangers will be the fact that Fitzmorris and Paulson are recovering from knee surgery.
ìThey're going to be physically ready before they're mentally ready,î Ellias said. ìThey have to work through it and build confidence. Itís really up to them to decide when they're ready to go all out.î
The leadership of Becker, Essen and Martin should help the Rangers though as Ellias says her captains have strong leadership and lead by example with their hard work ethic.
Competition
ìThere is no slacker team in the Suburban East Conference,î Ellias said.
Ellias says Park (Cottage Grove) is always a perennial favorite and will be strong again this year. White Bear Lake, Roseville and Stillwater traditionally have outstanding programs that make for no easy nights during the conference schedule.
ìI hope that weíre up there in the top two or three,î Ellias said.
The Rangers finished fourth in the SEC last year and at sections.
ìI don't really know whoís going to dominate,î Ellias said. ìA lot of conference teams are in our section so we'll at least have an idea of where we stand going into sections.î
Last year White Bear Lake won the section meet with Stillwater and Roseville in a tie for second place. The Rangers were behind Stillwater and Roseville in fourth place.
ìI was disappointed because I thought we could have had second place,î Ellias said.
The Rangers next meet is Tuesday at Cambridge-Isanti at 6 p.m.
Forest Lake Times
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Forest Lake, MN 55025
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