If consistency were an event in the gymnastics rotation, Lisa Sparrow hopes her Overland team nails it all year long.
The Trailblazers — a co-op team of gymnasts from eight schools across Aurora and the surrounding area — have become consistent at many things over the past few years, especially winning state championships.
Even with four Class 5A state crowns in the past six seasons, Overland doesn’t set out winning a state championship as a goal, but merely a byproduct of hard work throughout the season. This season, the only way that can happen is consistency in Sparrow’s estimation.
“Consistency is my biggest hope for the season,” said Sparrow, now in her fourth season as head coach.
“This team has a ton of potential, it’s just going to be a matter of putting together consistent routines and seeing where we’ll go from that. They have a great desire to work hard and they really have what it takes to come together and have great success. I don’t know that it will lead to another championship, but they will come and work hard.”
Overland — which posted a score of 184.97 points to hold off Broomfield at last season’s 5A state meet — returns 11 members of last season’s varsity team, but must move on without two of its key figures over the last four years in Devin Bundas and Kellyn Toole, who both graduated after helping the team win three state championships in four seasons.
Bundas, an Eaglecrest graduate, takes with her two individual state championships on the uneven bars, while Toole (a Regis Jesuit grad) piled up all-around and individual event places with regularity.
A pair of juniors, McKenna Turbyne (Lutheran) and Madie Venegas (Valor), need to rise to the forefront this season and Sparrow believes they will.
Turbyne made the individual event finals last season on the uneven bars — where she finished third with a score of 9.650 — and the balance beam (4th at 9.550), while she placed ninth in the all-around competition.
Venegas did not qualify for individual event finals, but has become a threat in the floor exercise among other things.
“I’ve been coaching both of them since they were seven years old, they are best of friends and bring an awesome dynamic,” said Sparrow, who describes Turbyne as more of a leader by example and Venegas as more vocal.
Christie Yee, a sophomore from Cherokee Trail, has also shown the potential to be a leader and should take on a more central role, while senior Devin Guttman (Smoky Hill) and sophomore MacKenzie French (Cherokee Trail), while several members of a nearly double-digit influx of freshmen holds promise.
Sparrow expects Broomfield, Pomona and Cherry Creek to be teams in contention for the state title. And maybe her team, too.
“We don’t even make that a goal because we don’t have control over the scores the judges give us or what other teams do,” Sparrow said.
“We have to stay focused on us and our goal is to work hard and be the best we can be….It’s great when winning championships are part of that and we want that, but to we can’t say we make that our goal.”
Overland again plays host to one of the three 5A regional qualifying meets, scheduled for Oct. 31, while the 5A state meet is set for Nov. 6-7 at Thornton High School.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 AURORA GYMNASTICS KEY DATES, INFORMATION
Key dates: Aug. 27 — First contest allowed; Sept. 19 — Overland Invitational; Oct. 31 — Class 5A regionals; Nov. 5-6 — Class 5A state meet at Thornton High School
Aurora gymnasts to watch: MacKenzie French, Overland (Cherokee Trail), soph.; Devin Guttman, Overland (Smoky Hill), sr.; McKenna Turbyne, Overland, (Lutheran), jr.; Madie Vegenas, Overland (Valor), jr.; Christie Yee, Overland (Cherokee Trail), soph.
