SNOQUALMIE — When Wildcat gymnasts Cortney Schuller and Lindsey Ray
vault their way out of high school in June, they won’t say goodbye
to sports all together.
Schuller is anticipating being accepted to Eastern
Washington University, where she will pursue a major in business and hopes
to continue her love of roller-skating. She hopes she can find a
rink in Cheney to stay conditioned for competitions with the skating
association that has kept her rolling for the last nine years.
Ray has been accepted at Washington State University
and by three colleges in California, but has not yet decided where
she will go. Her heart says she should stay on the Eastside to be near
her parents and boyfriend by attending Bellevue Community
College and transfer later, but she admits she still has until May to
decide.
She also wants to delay going away to college so she can
hone her skills by participating in one year of club gymnastics,
where gymnasts compete against their skill levels. Ray said
college gymnasts usually average around an 8.5 in their events in
schools like San Diego State, where she has been accepted. This
is slightly higher than her best performances of an 8.1 on the
vault, beam and bars and an 8.65 on floor. Competing at the club
level, she said, would give her more experience before moving on to
a four-year college.
Ray and Schuller will take away many memories of
Mount Si gymnastics with them, one of which is their team feast
after meets that consisted of anything from fruits and vegetables,
to pizza.
“It’s fun, though, because everyone is starving, and we
talk about what happened at the meet and eat,” Schuller said.
The memory that sticks out most for Ray is the one-day
gymnastics camp the team held for 3 to 9-year-old gymnasts to
raise money for equipment and new leotards.
“We had two classes and each class had 20 students,” Ray
said. “Then we had an exhibition at the end and put on a show for
them.” Ray’s love of gymnastics and teaching children has been
fostered by her job at the Gymnastics East Gym in Issaquah,
where she coaches 3- to 9-year-olds.
Mount Si gymnastics coach Renee Tredo is very
impressed with Ray and Schuller’s performances this year. The two
went on to compete at the league tournament on Saturday.
“Cortney made huge improvements, and Lindsey
had three first-place (finishes) in the all-around.” Tredo said. “This
season, Lindsey has always been in the top six, which is awesome.
As a senior, she definitely has the potential to go to districts.”
“I just want to do my best and not worry about how
stressful league is, or if I’m going to districts,” Ray said before the
league tournament. “If I do my best, it doesn’t really matter.”
Schuller’s goal for the league meet was simple.
“I don’t want to fall so much on the beam. I just want to
stick it,” Schuller said.
At the league meet, which was held at Issaquah High
School, Ray qualified for the district competition in the bars and
balance-beam events, scoring a 7.25 on bars and an 8.225 on
beam. Schuller did not qualify for districts. Her floor exercise
garnered a 7.0 and she scored a 6.15 on beam.
Overall the Mount Si gymnastics team did not qualify for
the district meet, placing eighth with a score of 141.1 and barely
edging Interlake, which scored 133. Newport won the league
meet with a score of 176.6. Issaquah and Mercer Island placed second
and third respectively with scores of 172.775 and 164.75.
Newport, Issaquah and Mercer Island did advance to the
district meet this weekend. Districts will be held at 3 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 10, at Sammamish High School.