(Photo: Matt Taylor)
Even in their initial season as a program, Elizabeth had a whiff of success.
“We started in 2006,” Stacey Folmar, the head coach since the beginning, said. “We had 11 kids out. We didn’t qualify for state as a team, but we had six individual qualifiers and so we ended up placing sixth as a team.”
As the years have passed, the Cardinals have blossomed in the gym even more.
“We’ve had three state championships and four state runner-up titles, all since 2009,” Folmar said. “We’re proud of the legacy of the gymnastics team and hopeful that we can remain as competitive as we have been.”
The Cardinals won 4A state titles in 2009, 2010, and 2012, while last season they were the runner-up to Niwot, 178.2-177.175. So, what’s allowed Elizabeth to surge so suddenly?
“When we started there was just such a passion for the sport and to each other,” the veteran coach noted. “There was a bond created and I think that bond has become the legacy of our gymnastics team. The success has to be attributed to the commitment of the kids, the commitment of our parents, and the commitment of the school that has stood behind us. It’s been a really big group effort.”
What makes the current contingent compelling is their youth. 16 freshmen were among the 27 on the roster a season ago. 20 of 24 gymnasts this fall will be underclassmen.
“We’re young but there’s so much potential and so much energy that we really believe we can maintain our level of competitiveness even in the larger field,” Folmar said, noting that several teams are moving down from Class 5A to 4A. “We’re looking at it as a welcomed challenge.”
(Photo: Matt Taylor)
Lexye Wood, one of many skilled freshmen in 2015, was the runner-up in the all-around competition in 4A behind only Standley Lake sophomore Rachel Cody. Amanda Taylor, a rare junior on Elizabeth, placed third in the all-around.
Folmar knows the program will have to stick to its blueprint. The Cardinals are in this together and she said it’s not fair to talk about only one or two individuals when so many are ready to make an impact.
“We have some young event specialists that I think are going to contribute a lot,” she said. “Dillon Lind, she’s a senior who is fabulous on the floor. We’re not really looking for that great all-arounder, we’re looking for everyone to contribute their very best to the team. It’s going to take all 24 to make this happen.”
Elizabeth boasted their largest group in history last fall and remain confident in the direction of the program.
“We have so many girls that are so good at what they do and we all push each other,” Lind said. “We’re all competitive. Someone will see someone else do something and it’ll be like, ‘oh, I can do that too.’ We push each other in that way. It’s good for the team.”
In 5A, Pomona, Broomfield, Rocky Mountain, Cherry Creek, Overland and Mountain Range are all expected to be in the upper crust again.
Pomona shattered the all-classification Colorado record at last season’s state meet in becoming the first-ever team to score over 190 points with 190.925. In doing so, the Panthers won the school’s first girls state championship in any sport.
Before that, Overland had claimed four of six 5A crowns, while Broomfield won in 2012 and Bear Creek in 2010.
Class 5A
- Defending champion: Pomona
- Season begins: August 25
- Postseason begins: October 29
- State Meet: November 4-5 at Thornton High School
- Returning all-state honorees: Kelsey Boychuk, Pomona, junior (first team); Brooke Weins, Pomona, sophomore (first team); Autumn Bottke, Rocky Mountain, senior (first team); Abby Holbrook, Broomfield, junior (second team); Samantha Simon, Cherry Creek, junior (second team); McKenna Turbyne, Overland, senior (second team).
Class 4A
- Defending champion: Niwot
- Season begins: August 25
- Playoffs begin: October 29
- Championship: November 4-5 at Thornton High School
- Returning all-state honorees: Rachel Cody, Standley Lake, junior (first team); Marissa Koski, Niwot, senior (first team); Lindsey Chohon, Niwot, sophomore (second team); Hannah McDonald, Niwot, junior (second team); Amelia Sears, Niwot, senior (second team); Grace Braune, Pueblo Central, junior (second team); Lexye Wood, Elizabeth, sophomore (first team); Amanda Taylor, Elizabeth, junior (second team).