Gymnastics’ regionals begin next week. Teams were then placed into one of three regionals, held at Overland, Mountain Range and Bear Creek.
Each regional is Oct. 29.
The criteria used to rank teams and determine regional placement is below the schedule.
[divider]
Rotation schedule
Region 1 (Overland HS)
Rotation
Warmup
Vault
Beam
Bars
Floor
1
8:55-9:03
1: Standley Lake
2: Denver East
3: Canon City
4: Denver South
9:03-9:11
5: Rocky Mountain
6: Palmer Ridge
7: Ponderosa
8: Loveland
9:11-9:19
9: Overland
10: Lakewood
11: Bye
12: Elizabeth
2
9:19-9:27
4: Denver South
1: Standley Lake
2: Denver East
3: Canon City
9:27-9:35
8: Loveland
5: Rocky Mountain
6: Palmer Ridge
7: Ponderosa
9:35-9:43
12: Elizabeth
9: Overland
10: Lakewood
11: Bye
• • • 48-minute timed warmups • • •
Rotation
Warmup
Vault
Beam
Bars
Floor
3
(8 mins)
3: Canon City
4: Denver South
1: Standley Lake
2: Denver East
(8 mins)
7: Ponderosa
8: Loveland
5: Rocky Mountain
6: Palmer Ridge
(8 mins)
11: Bye
12: Elizabeth
9: Overland
10: Lakewood
4
(8 mins)
2: Denver East
3: Canon City
4: Denver South
1: Standley Lake
(8 mins)
6: Palmer Ridge
7: Ponderosa
8: Loveland
5: Rocky Mountain
(8 mins)
10: Lakewood
11: Bye
12: Elizabeth
9: Overland
[divider]
Region 2 (Mountain Range HS)
Rotation
Warmup
Vault
Beam
Bars
Floor
1
8:55-9:03
1: Buena Vista
2: Columbine
3: Alamosa
4: Thomas Jefferson
9:03-9:11
5: Rampart
6: Chatfield
7: Rock Canyon
8: Mountain Range
9:11-9:19
9: Pomona
10: Niwot
11: Bye
12: Arvada West
2
9:19-9:27
4: Thomas Jefferson
1: Buena Vista
2: Columbine
3: Alamosa
9:27-9:35
8: Mountain Range
5: Rampart
6: Chatfield
7: Rock Canyon
9:35-9:43
12: Arvada West
9: Pomona
10: Niwot
11: Bye
• • • 48-minute timed warmups • • •
Rotation
Warmup
Vault
Beam
Bars
Floor
3
(8 mins)
3: Alamosa
4: Thomas Jefferson
1: Buena Vista
2: Columbine
(8 mins)
7: Rock Canyon
8: Mountain Range
5: Rampart
6: Chatfield
(8 mins)
11: Bye
12: Arvada West
9: Pomona
10: Niwot
4
(8 mins)
2: Columbine
3: Alamosa
4: Thomas Jefferson
1: Buena Vista
(8 mins)
6: Chatfield
7: Rock Canyon
8: Mountain Range
5: Rampart
(8 mins)
10: Niwot
11: Bye
12: Arvada West
9: Pomona
[divider]
Region 3 (Bear Creek HS)
Rotation
Warmup
Vault
Beam
Bars
Floor
1
8:55-9:03
1: Heritage
2: Evergreen
3: Lone Star
4: Fort Morgan
9:03-9:11
5: Pueblo Central
6: Bear Creek
7: Green Mountain
8: Fort Collins
9:11-9:19
9: Thornton
10: Broomfield
11: Bye
12: Cherry Creek
2
9:19-9:27
4: Fort Morgan
1: Heritage
2: Evergreen
3: Lone Star
9:27-9:35
8: Fort Collins
5: Pueblo Central
6: Bear Creek
7: Green Mountain
9:35-9:43
12: Cherry Creek
9: Thornton
10: Broomfield
11: Bye
• • • 48-minute timed warmups • • •
Rotation
Warmup
Vault
Beam
Bars
Floor
3
(8 mins)
3: Lone Star
4: Fort Morgan
1: Heritage
2: Evergreen
(8 mins)
7: Green Mountain
8: Fort Collins
5: Pueblo Central
6: Bear Creek
(8 mins)
11: Bye
12: Cherry Creek
9: Thornton
10: Broomfield
4
(8 mins)
2: Evergreen
3: Lone Star
4: Fort Morgan
1: Heritage
(8 mins)
6: Bear Creek
7: Green Mountain
8: Fort Collins
5: Pueblo Central
(8 mins)
10: Broomfield
11: Bye
12: Cherry Creek
9: Thornton
[divider]
Team ranking criteria
Average the top three best team scores for each team as reported during the regular season to CHSAANow.com
The top scores were placed in regions in a “serpentine” pattern into three regionals by classification (5A: Team #s: 1, 6, 7, 12, = Region 1; Team #s: 2, 5, 8, 11= Region 2; 5A #s: 3, 4, 9, 10= Region 3; 4A: Team #s: 1, 6, 7, 12, 13 = Region 1; Team #s: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14 = Region 2; Team #s: 3, 4, 9, 10 = Region 3)
Once the teams have been determined by classification for each region, the committee then ranked them by average team score to begin the drawings for competition rotations; with the top four teams garnering rotations 9-12;
Region 1 is at Overland High School, Region 2 at Mountain Range and Region 3 will be held at Bear Creek. All regionals are on Saturday, October 28.
(Photo courtesy of Shauna Shaw/Denver East gymnastics)
There’s something missing from Denver East gymnastics’ varsity roster. The Angels lack seniors. But what they don’t lack is talent.
Head coach Shauna Shaw finds her 2017 team is loaded with something every coach in every sport yearns for: talented underclassmen.
Shaw’s roster consists of 13 names. All but two of them are either freshmen or sophomores. And perhaps more exciting, they have a range of talent that she hopes can put the entire team at the state gymnastics meet in November.
“I think what excites me the most is that they’re so young so it’s going to be easier to mold them,” Shaw said. “They don’t have any expectations about what the team is supposed to be like. What I also like is that there are no expectations for East High School and the gymnastics program as far we’re not an Overland or Cherry Creek or Pomona. Nobody expects East to have amazing gymnastics.”
From her eyes and the eyes of her girls, this could very well be the year that East stands out with the best.
It won’t happen overnight as these girls need to adapt from the world of club gymnastics where they normally compete. There are advantages and disadvantages from making that adjustment. The pressure of competing might not be as intimidating for them, but it’s also uncertain how they’ll adjust from competing for just them to competing for the team.
“We’ve really been working on team bonding and working together as a team and trying to realize that in high school gymnastics, it’s more of a team sport than an individual sport,” Shaw said. “(I enjoy) being able to teach the girls that it’s not about them anymore, it’s about the school and how they plan to leave their legacy as a team member in the years to follow.”
The team took to the Columbine Invitational last week for its first event. And with it being the first competition of the year, Shaw was a little unsure of what to expect, but couldn’t have been happier with the results.
From a team standpoint, the performance was better than it was a year ago, indicating that the team is certainly trending in the right direction.
“We had already picked up our score 13 points from last year, which is certainly a big improvement for gymnastics in general,” she said.
(Photo courtesy of Shauna Shaw/Denver East gymnastics)
Individually, she was very impressed with freshman Quinn Bianucci who placed in the top-10 in the all-around. Shaw was quick to point out that she didn’t hit all the events that she could have, but still scored well.
Sophomore Chloe Brown was also impressive.
“I believe she can even make it to the finals for state,” Shaw said.
Even if they stumble a bit, the Angels are in a fortunate position considering the youth of the team. The full roster should return next year, so they can spend 2017 setting the table for long-term success.
With little expectations, for the program Shaw believes that no one has seen what her group of girls has to offer.
Pomona coach Tracey Boychuk has guided the Panthers to back-to-back 5A team titles. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
ARVADA — Two-time defending Class 5A gymnastics state champion Pomona has the defending 5A individual all-around champion Brooke Weins back.
However, there is a possibility the junior won’t have the opportunity to defend her all-around title. Weins had her left ankle heavily wrapped during the Panthers’ first official practice on Monday. It was evidence left behind after suffering a broken ankle four months ago during a floor routine.
“I want to win (all-around) at state again, but if it doesn’t happen I’m not going to be super bummed out,” said Weins, who added her beam and bars routines will be even stronger this year with her only being able to practice on those two events so far since the injury.
Pomona junior Brooke Weins practices on the beam fourth months after breaking her left ankle. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Weins was cleared by doctors to compete on the beam and bars — events she won during the individual apparatus competition at state last year — but there is a chance she might not be able to compete in the floor and vault this fall.
“I’m just trying to get everything back,” said Weins, who has committed to the University of Missouri for gymnastics. “I want to do my best and prove that I can be as good as I was.”
Weins has dealt with injuries earlier in her prep career. It’s clear Pomona coach Tracey Boychuk isn’t counting Weins out to make her mark this season.
“She is a hard worker and if she gets something in her mind that she wants to do she is going to do it,” coach Boychuk said of last year’s 5A all-around state champion. “I don’t doubt that we’ll have her on bars at some point and probably beam. I’m not going to push her to tumble or vault this year.”
Something positive coming out not having Weins at 100 percent to start the season is Pomona has the type program that has the depth to overcome injuries. Senior Kelsey Boychuk, the coach’s daughter, and sophomore Kaylie Berens are two more returning all-state gymnasts besides Weins.
Some other Panthers who will step into bigger roles are sophomore Audrey Brandt, junior Katie Olson and senior Sarah Hooper.
“Anything can happen,” Boychuk said, looking back on her fall on the beam during the team competition at state that cost her a shot at a third-straight all-around title. “We always have each other’s backs. We know we need more girls to step up for Brooke in floor and vault.”
Boychuk won the 5A all-round title in 2014 and 2015. She is coming off winning the vault last year. The senior said she is more focused on team goals going into this year.
Pomona senior Kelsey Boychuk will continue her gymnastics career at Iowa State University. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“This year for me it’s more about the team doing well then me individually. I want to see if this team can get three in a row,” said Boychuk, who is committed to Iowa State University. “I just want to enjoy every second of it no matter what happens, the good and the bad.”
If Pomona can pull of a three-peat, the Panthers would be closer to matching Bear Creek’s feat of winning fourth-straight titles from 1974 to 1977.
“That’s definitely in the back of our minds,” coach Boychuk said of a three-peat. “But just like last year, it’s a goal but we have to stay healthy, get what we need to get out of our routines and hit when it counts.”
Coach Boychuk likes the make-up of her team with six seniors to help lead the team through the ups and downs of the season.
“It’s great to have that leadership and those are the kids who really want to be here,” said coach Boychuk, who talked about how all her seniors stayed late to work with young inspiring gymnasts during Pomona pee-wee camp it held before the start of the season.
Pomona’s first regular-season action will be hosting a meet with Bear Creek and defending 4A state champion Green Mountain on Aug. 30. The Rams have plenty of talent, but a new coach with Taelore Fehr taking over the program after the successful wife and husband tandem of Sandi and Dan Patterson stepped down after the end of the 2016 season to spend more time supporting their three sons in their athletic activities.
Pomona hopes to leap into a third straight Class 5A state team title. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Green Mountain’s gymnastics program claimed its fourth team state title in 2016. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain High School stayed in-house to guide its successful gymnastics program.
Rams’ athletic director Tommy Dodge announced that 2009 Green Mountain graduate Taelore Fehr has been hired as Green Mountain’s new gymnastics head coach.
“We are very proud to have a GM alumni such as Taelore on our coaching staff that will sustain the integrity and success of our program,” Dodge said. “She models all of the characteristics that we look for in an ‘inside out’ coach.”
Green Mountain gymnastics coach Taelore Fehr
Fehr has been an assistant coach at Green Mountain for the past six years, along with coaching at 5280 Gymnastics. During her high school career, Fehr was a member of the Rams’ Class 5A state championship gymnastics teams in 2006 and 2008. Green Mountain was the state runner-up in 2005 and 2007.
The Rams returned to the top of the podium last fall winning the 4A gymnastics state title. It was the fourth team title in the program’s history.
Longtime coach Sandi Patterson and her assistant coach and husband Dan Patterson decided to step away from coaching Green Mountain’s gymnastics program after the 2016 season. They wanted to spend more time supporting their three sons in their athletic activities.
A roundup of Jeffco prep highlights, interviews and schedules with Dennis Pleuss, Jeffco Public Schools’ Communication Specialist. This month’s edition features football, state volleyball, state gymnastics and early-National Letter of Intent Signing Day.
