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.