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By Julia Kotzian
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Apr. 26, 2008 |
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The movie Take the Lead presents gymnastics as an intense sport that takes lots of practice, requiring athletes to start as toddlers and train vigorously for several days a week. Though that may be true for some gymnasts, the Cardinal team includes members with relatively little experience in the sport.
Take JV senior Monique Mendoza for example. It’s hard to believe that this serious competitor started gymnastics only two years ago. “I had never done a cartwheel in my life before joining the team,” she said. “You don't need experience as long as you work hard.”
This doesn’t mean that the whole team is inexperienced. Several members have been involved with the sport since childhood. Varsity sophomore Charlotte Witmore, for example, has been practicing gymnastics since the fourth grade and attends the American Gymnastics Club once a week.
"I like how [gymnastics] combines flexibility and strength, as well as the fact that you compete individually but are still part of the team," Witmore said.
Witmore looks forward to receiving higher scores than last year, and "being able to enjoy it more, now that I’m not a newbie."
The team’s goals are to increase overall performance in the events and to ultimately place higher at the Central Coast Section championships, according to Witmore.
The JV team has a new coach this year, Cecilia Coles. She replaced head coach Jerilyn Janks, who is recovering from surgery. CeCe, a competitive gymnast herself, should be “better for everyone because they’ll have the focus and attention they need,” varsity coach Lesley de Dios said
De Dios hopes to go to CSS championships and bring home a trophy. But her number-one goal is that “everyone has a good time.”
Come see the gymnasts at their first meet on April 2nd against St.Francis at Lowell.
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