Gymnastic trio performs well on the grand stage

Emerald Ridge gymnasts Carolyne Schmidt, Tad Miller and Emily Watsek make their presence felt

Shaun Scott

A season to remember for the Emerald Ridge Jaguars gymnastics team concluded with a trio of athletes competing at the Class 4A gymnastics state meet on Feb. 19-20 at the Tacoma Dome.

Even though senior Tad Miller didn’t place in her final season with the Jags in beam and floor, head coach Bobbi Jones was proud of what she accomplished during her high school career.

“It’s hard to say goodbye to Tad,” Jones said. “She was our captain and had great leadership qualities. She’s a 4.0 (grade-point average) student and I’m really excited to see what her next adventure will be in life.”

“She didn’t make it to the finals but she recorded a 9.175. It was awesome seeing her qualify for state two years in a row,” Jones said. “I’m excited to see what she does next year. She is the kind of athlete you can always depend on.”

Freshman phenom CaroLyne Schmidt earned third place in the all-around portion, scoring a 36.8.

“For a freshman to do as well as she did is amazing. She worked so hard to perfect her skills,” Jones said. “What she did was pretty special. She has a lot of potential and will be exciting to watch over the next few years.”

Jones is excited about what her youthful team can accomplish when the 2010-11 practice season olls around in just under ninth months.

“We’re going to have an exciting season next year,” Jones said. “Most of our girls are returning. I’ve been impressed with their work ethic and commitment to the program. We’re going to have a special team again.”