Doing summer work on some of their skills required members of the Emporia High gymnastics team to leave town.
Six of the Spartans headed to Topeka this summer to work at a gym there — a showing of dedication that had coach Barbara Clark both applauding the effort and anticipating what the results might bring this fall.
“We don’t have a gym in town where we can work on (all) the apparatuses that we (compete on),” Clark said. “So what they did was they went to CAGE (Gymnastics) in Topeka, and they worked offseason in conditioning and learning some new skills. They looked a lot sharper. The majority of girls that went there looked so good coming back. I’m pretty excited about it.”
Now, it’s time to see whether the extra work will translate into improved individual and team performance — no Spartans, returning or departed, qualified for State last year.
The gymnast probably facing the highest expectations is junior Kaitlyn Miller, who will be an all-around competitor. At the season-ending Regional meet last November at Olathe North, Miller led EHS in all-around, vault and bars.
“I have to relax and just make sure I think about my routine in my head before I go,” she said. “Take deep breaths, not freak out.”
Senior Hayley Risley will also be an all-arounder. Sophomore Maranda Rust will likely compete on the floor, as will fellow sophomore and newcomer Ashley Wheeler and freshman Morgan Nail. Senior Kylie Mains, who Clark said “came back really strong” from her summer work at CAGE, is likely to be on the beam. Brenda del Alba, who will be on bars, and Alex Allen, projected to be on bars and vault, round out the senior class of five.
Miller is one of several Spartans battling or recovering from an injury; in her case, it’s an arthritic hip that previously required surgery and slowed her down last year. Senior Madison Reiber is recovering from a foot injury, which will leave Clark looking to find someone to replace her on the vault. Junior Kristina McAuley is recovering from a broken tailbone and hasn’t practiced yet.
“It hurts all the time,” Miller said of her hip. “But I don’t let it stop me. I keep going.”
“Gymnastics is just that way,” Clark said, “so you’ve gotta work through that, and some of them have been working through it and doing a great job.”
Emporia begins its season on Sept. 10 when it travels to Newton for a triangular. The Spartans will have two home meets this season, one on Sept. 21 and senior night on Oct. 20.
“I just think them making the effort to go out of town, and to polish up on their skills and learn some new skills,” Clark said, “I think that tells me that they’re ready for this season.