KENTLAKE GYMNASTICS: AT A GLANCE
• COACH: Marla Boyd, fifth year.
• LAST YEAR: Third in the SPSL North.
• TOP RETURNERS: Lynnsey Thielman, sr., all-around; Katie Steckler, jr., all-around; Kelly Heggerty, sr., vault, beam, floor; Brenna Bickel, jr., all-around; Melissa Alberts, so., all-around; Carissa Payseno, jr., all-around.
• TOP NEWCOMERS: Chrissy O’Connor, fr., all-around; Becky Denny, fr., all-around.
• KEY LOSSES: Senior Becca Peterson, who was a member of Kentlake’s second-place team at state in 2009, chose not to turn out this winter. In addition, the Falcons lost Janae Long to graduation.
• TEAM STRENGTH: Tradition, depth, unity.
• TEAM WEAKNESS: Mental toughness.
• OUTLOOK: Thielman and Steckler give the Falcons the best one-two punch in the South Puget Sound League North Division. With Heggerty, Bickel, Alberts and Payseno also returning to the varsity rotation, there’s no reason this group shouldn’t finish at or near the top of the North. While the Falcons will miss Peterson’s presence (and, of course, her talent), this is a group that has the talent and tradition to compete for division supremacy.
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