Everything is all right for Gordon at state gymnastics

BELLEVUE — Grace Gordon’s smile stretched far and wide as she dismounted from the beam.

Without pause, tears began to flow. After a week where she spent hours focusing on perfecting the routine she struggled with in competition the week before, she’d nailed it on the first try.

“When I did my first back handspring, I knew I was going to be on and I had this moment where I just knew it was all right,” Gordon said. “I was so happy, in the middle of my series I started smiling. And when I stuck it, I was so happy. It was just pure joy.”

Thursday was the triumphant culmination of a long road to recovery for the Columbia River senior, suffering a broken ankle in practice after districts last year, an injury that required two surgeries and months of physical therapy.

Even though Gordon advanced to Friday’s individual finals in beam, bars and vault and finished 16th in the individual all-around at the 3A/2A/1A state gymnastics championships at Sammamish High School, just being there and competing was the ribbon on top of her high school gymnastics career.

And the beam was her ultimate triumph.

Big moment for River’s Grace Gordon.

Sticks it on the first try, after falling twice at districts. Her strongest event of the day and, as you can see, the moment wasn’t lost on her ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/w4IRev37QA

— Andy Buhler (@AndyBuhler) February 21, 2019

A year ago, she made the trip up to state with the Chieftains and cheered on her team with her ankle ice-wrapped, days removed from the first of two surgeries.

This year, the one-year anniversary of her second surgery, the team was present to cheer on the three Chieftains who qualified for state as individuals.

“Last year I was there supporting them when I couldn’t compete and now they’re supporting us when we can compete,” Gordon said.

Gordon was cleared to return to fully return to the sport right at the beginning of the season, and spent much of the last three months regaining her fitness lost in the recovery process.

Each time she steps onto the mat, she tapes up both ankles and wears supporting braces.

But while at times her repaired ankle feels weaker than before, her mind has felt sharper. Her confidence strengthened. And around midseason, Gordon said, was the first time she felt like she did physically last season.

That came at the prime time for a run to state.

On the beams at districts, Gordon went with the same routine she nailed on the first try Thursday.

But on the first try, she wiped out, only to land a big bruise on her thigh. (“I started rough,” she said.)

“She’s mentally tough,” River coach Alicia Green said. “Between the adrenaline rush, mental angst of falling on the beam, feeling of being in pain from falling on the beam, she’s mentally tough. And that’s what today’s beam was.”

The second time, she didn’t even try the second hand back spring that befell her the first time around. Gordon breathed a sigh of relief when she stuck it the third time around, but vowed to ace the same series on the first try at state.

After she did just that on Friday, the senior immediately turned to River assistant coach Allison Sparrow for a high-five and hug. She made an about-face to Green.

“It was really big to come back a year later and still perform really well and do my best considering all that’s happened in the last year — two surgeries, months of physical therapy — to come back and do almost as well as I did last year,” Gordon said. “Better if you consider the circumstances.”

Gordon will compete in three event finals for the chance to medal at 11 a.m. Friday. The 4A all-around and team finals begin at 2 p.m. Friday.

Gordon was the only individual to advance to Friday’s event finals from Clark County. Ridgefield, the only 3A/2A/1A team to qualify for state from Southwest Washington, placed sixth out of seven teams.

1A/2A/3A STATE GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Sammamish High School

TEAM SCORES—1, Holy Names 181.325; 2, Lake Washington 180.275; 3, Kamiakin 179.550; 4, Ballard 177.825; 5, Mt. Spokane 177.600; 6, Ridgefield 146.575; 7, Capital 136.300.

ALL-AROUND—1, Amaya Gales (Kamiakin) 37.925; 2, Gina Twenge (Mt. Spokane); 3, Lianne Kistler (Ballard) 37.600; T4, Sydney Griswold (Sammamish) 37.550; T4, Abigal Winstead (Kamiakin) 37.550; 6, Laly Noriega (Lake Washington) 37.375; 7, Hanna Hill (Mt. Spo.) 37.300; 8, Allison Lofquist (Juanita) 37.100; 9, Martina Klecka (Sehome) 36.850; 10, Kaysa Lundberg (Holy Names) 36.425; 11, Celyn Stermer (Ballard) 36.275; 12, Courteney Hori (Lake Wash.) 36.150; T13, Chylye Schillen (White River) 35.950; T13, Piper Polanik (Kamiakin) 35.950; T13, Peyton Yoshida (Lake Wash.) 35.950; 16, Grace Gordon (Columbia River) 35.765. Other locals: 35, Joslyn Mayberry (Ridgefield) 31.225; 41, Kyra Blanchard (Ridgefield) 29.050.