The Standley Lake girls gymnastics team won its first-ever state team title on Friday at Thornton High School, but it almost ended before it ever began.
“In January, we actually didn’t even have a team at the beginning of the year,” Standley Lake coach Kristen Larrington said. “We were so low in numbers and the Jeffco rule didn’t allow us to have a team.”
The Jeffco League typically wants a team to carry 10 gymnasts on its roster. The Gators have eight on their roster with six competing on varsity.
“I pretty much have six all-arounders. If one got hurt in warm-ups this morning, I was going to be out,” she said.
Larrington said there were several months earlier this year when she wasn’t even a coach. After adding a few more gymnasts to the squad, the Gators were able to compete and have now capped off a magical season.
“It’s even more amazing to me to think we went four or five months without thinking we were going to have a team. These girls were thinking they were going to have to compete for Pomona or Arvada West,” Larrington said. “And now they got to represent their school and have a state title.
