November 8, 2017 at 1:22 p.m.
Hodag gymnasts young and healthy as season begins
Hodag gymnasts young and healthy as season begins
Following a school-imposed 2 1/2-week embargo on practice in last December due to a pertussis outbreak, the Hodags were finally beginning to hit their stride in late January when injuries struck, taking the team's chances at a GNC Small Division title along with it.
The Hodags are back at 100 percent from a health standpoint as the 2017-18 season gets underway and figure to have a some added depth. The team did not graduate any of its starters from last year and a number of incoming freshmen who could be fighting for spots in the rotation have joined the group.
"It's always nice when you don't lose many," RHS gymnastics co-coach April Denis said. "So it's basically the same team plus we added a bunch of (incoming freshmen) that are strong athletes as well. We can play around (with the lineup). We've got a lot of talent in this gym right now. We'll see what they can do with it this year."
The Hodags had 16 gymnasts for Monday's opening practice, including top all-arounder Stephanie Kuester, who missed the final three meets of last season with a neck injury and fellow senior Alyssa Mitchell who broke her arm just before the Great Northern Conference meet.
Last season there was rarely a meet when the Hodags had their entire starting lineup healthy and active - sometimes competing with fewer than four gymnasts in some events due to injuries. Denis said that hopefully not be an issue this year.
"Hopefully we don't have any illness, like we did last year. Illness and injury, you can't always plan for it, but we can move people around now," she said.
It's all coming full circle for Denis and fellow co-coach, Heather Sturtevant, who have worked with a number of these gymnasts at the youth and middle school levels.
"I've been waiting many, many years for them to get up to the high school level so they can use the skills they are strong with and excel at that instead of doing the compulsory routines (at the middle school level)," Denis said.
The Hodags' first competition is not until Dec. 2, when the team travels to Wisconsin Rapids for an invite, but that doesn't mean the team isn't feeling a time crunch.
"Dec. 2 comes very quick, especially when we have to do the conditioning and picking music and routines," Denis said. "Our goal this year is to have them pick their music not in the gym, but at home and then come with some ideas. It goes very quick. You have Thanksgiving in there. Hopefully we can all use our time wisely and make the best of our time here."
To that end, Denis said a number of the gymnasts already have music selected for their floor exercise routines and a number of the returning athletes will use what they have done in previous years as a basis for their routines on floor, uneven bars and balance beam. That allows the team to spend much of the first week getting reacquainted with the apparatus and getting back into gymnastics shape.
"Getting their cardio up so they can do their floor routines, getting there strength, getting back on the bars, try to have them memorize their routines so they can move forward with that and kind of amp it up a little bit," Denis said of the first-week goals, adding the team will focus on one or two events each day.
The long preseason will lead into a busy month of December for the Hodags, who have four meets scheduled including the annual Snowflake Invite Dec. 9 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.