Gymnastics Preview: Grace Gordon completes long recovery from injury

“It was my first time doing the exact same pass I hurt (the ankle) on, and I had (assistant coach) Allison (Sparrow) stand there because I was a little bit nervous,” Gordon said. “Then the next pass, I was like ‘I’m OK, I’ve got it.’ It felt pretty good.”

Columbia River had thoughts of a team title last year heading into the 3A/2A/1A state meet in Tacoma. It was Gordon’s first season with the team after years of just competing in club gymnastics. With a strong senior group, Gordon was a solid addition as a junior. She won the district title on the bars and beam.

However, the very next week, while doing a tumbling pass she said she had been performing “since I was 10,” Gordon rolled her ankle and it swelled “like a tennis ball,” she said. “I couldn’t stand on it.”

Hoping for a diagnosis of “just a sprain” turned into “No, it’s a break and you have to have surgery,” Gordon said.

The first surgery went well, but Gordon said her ankle shifted and that required a second surgery. (Turns out, her doctor said her ankles are prone to rolling because of how the joint is set up. “Which is frustrating,” Gordon added.)

On crutches, Gordon attended the state meet to support her teammates. She marched in with the team even though she wouldn’t be competing. The Chieftains placed fifth.

Her senior season has started with ankles taped and braces on top of the tape for added support. But it allows her to compete at a fairly normal level as she builds up to the big meets in February.

“We are playing it on the safe side just for my ankle’s sake, but also trying to push me,” Gordon said.

Gordon says she feels a big difference from being a junior on the team to now a senior, even as a team leader.

“This is the most supportive team I’ve been on,” she said. “I’m really excited. It’s going to be a good year.”

Gymnasts storylines

Camas Still Strong: Camas is the defending 4A state team champion and is still loaded. Sophomore Shea McGee was second in the all-around at state. “Shea is definitely a returning powerhouse,” Camas coach Carol Willson said. “We only lost one senior and most of our strongest kids are freshmen and sophomores.

Return of the Mac: Union senior Mac Ridgway returns for the Titans. She tied for second on floor at 4A state, is the defending district champion on beam, and is committed to Arizona Christian University to compete on the acrobatics and tumbling team.

Sweet Freshman: Don’t count out Skyview. Freshman Anna Sugarman is already the talk of many area gymnasts with her strong club background and could figure among district title contenders. New coach Alyssa Loomis points out that junior Allison Yajko returns with strong beam and floor skills, junior Riley LeCocq is new to the team with a club background that makes her a solid all-around gymnast, and junior Kendall Jensen is very strong on beam and vault.

New State Location: The state meet has moved locations and dates for 2019 due to renovations at the Tacoma Dome. This year’s meet is a week later than usual, Feb. 21-23 at Sammamish High School in Bellevue. The dates were picked because of a winter school break at Sammamish. Instead of sharing the same dates and location as state wrestling, the gymnasts will now be competing on basketball regional weekend.