T-birds field skilled, athletic team

  • Tony Dondero<br>Enterprise writer
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 11:42am

SHORELINE

This season the Shorewood varsity gymnasts will need to work hard to maintain their spots.

The Thunderbirds boast their most skilled and athletic team in years which means for “the varsity, they feel the pressure of those JVers that are coming up,” eighth-year head coach Susan Riley said.

Senior Elle MacGeorge, a three-time state participant, returns to lead Shorewood. At the state Class 4A meet in Tacoma last February, MacGeorge tied for 49th in the uneven bars with a score of 7.65, 50th in the vault with a score of 8.6 and 50th in the balance beam with a score of 8.45. She did not qualify for state in the floor exercise.

“I would really love to see her qualify for state in four events,” Riley said of MacGeorge, an all-around competitor who has yet to make the finals at state. Her best shot for finals is in the beam, Riley said.

Junior Crystal Bugai, who finished 56th in her first trip to state in the bars with a score of 7.575 last year, is the other top returnee for the T-birds. Bugai, also an all-around competitor, is strongest in the beam but is working on a floor routine that could surpass that event, Riley said.

Both MacGeorge and Bugai competed in Shorewood’s summer program and are ahead of where they were at the end of last year, Riley said. They also both competed at state in diving during the fall sports season.

Shorewood has seven varsity gymnasts and 19 total in the program out of 34 that tried out this year.

“Though we have a small varsity they’re turning into all-arounds which is really nice,” Riley said.

Also back on the varsity is junior Allison Sherris, whose best event is the vault; senior Bailey Craig, who excels in the beam; and sophomore Jackie Sundquist, who is strongest in the floor exercise.

Freshman newcomers Julia Hayes and Alina Koehier both are solid vaulters.

The team’s strongest event overall is the vault while the floor exercise is where the most improvement is needed, Riley said.

Shorewood, which competes in the same district as the KingCo 4A schools, will encounter tough competition from Bothell, the defending state 4A champs, and Ballard.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.