THORNTON — One year ago, coach Tracey Boychuk and her Pomona gymnastics team were struck by tragedy Saturday the morning of the most important meet of the year.
On the first day of the 2014 Class 5A state gymnastics meet, the mother of twin sisters on the team suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.
Despite a whirlwind of a meet, Boychuk’s freshman daughter, Kelsey, won the individual all-around title that day, and the Panthers placed fifth as a team.
“I can’t remember anything from that day except for being at the hospital (with the twins), our first gymnast breaking her ankle (on the vault in the first event) and then Kelsey winning at the end,” Boychuk said. “The rest of the meet was just a blur.”
This year, Pomona cemented the team’s legacy in school and state history.
Setting an all-classification Colorado record with 190.925 points en route to the school’s first-ever girls gymnastics championship, the Panthers drew audible gasps from the crowd anytime they stuck a landing off the uneven bars or flipped and floated across the floor.
Broomfield, a school not far from Pomona, was runner-up, and Rocky Mountain was third.
Niwot claimed the Class 4A state championship.
Sophomore Boychuk defended her all-around title, followed by teammates Brooke Weins and Alyssa Minyard. And the freshmen who persevered with the team over the years, this year’s senior leaders, were finally able to hoist a trophy together.
But don’t call this a comeback.
Boychuk has been at Pomona since 1994 and transformed the program into an elite powerhouse. Boasting five USA Gymnastics level-9 gymnasts and three level-10s this year, the Panthers’ loaded team is a rarity.
Kelsey Boychuk is one of the level-10 gymnasts.
“It’s the highest level of gymnastics before you’re an elite gymnast, which is going to the Olympics,” she explained. “Most girls do level 10 and then go to college.”
After taking time off to be with her children and then stepping in to assistant coach, Tracey Boychuk watched the program she tailored into a dominant force crumble. Participation was at a low, and the quality of performance was deteriorating.
Boychuk started coaching again in 2012, which is when the program took on new life. That’s when the army of serious gymnasts joined Pomona, starting with Shea Zeman, a senior this year.
“That freshman class really brought this program back to what it is,” Boychuk said. “People were wondering if we should continue.”
At such a high level, it’s rare for club girls to compete in high school.
“Club coaches don’t want the gymnasts to get injured or something to happen,” explained assistant coach Kristen Larington, who also works at TIGAR. “It’s just so many hours (of practice), and the club coaches don’t want them to get hurt under someone else’s watch.”
But Boychuk said everyone on the team, 29 girls from 10 schools, wanted to compete in high school, and they wanted to compete specifically for Pomona.
After winning the team state title Friday, and sweeping the top three slots for individual all-around champions, the Panthers continued to place in individual apparatus finals, taking first in three of four individual apparatus events.
“One of the things Leslie (the mother who passed away) said to me when she brought her girls to Pomona as a freshman was, ‘I would love for this team to get a state championship,’ ” Boychuk said.
Boychuk said it was a special day for the Pomona community.
Morgan Dzakowic: 303-954-1275, mdzakowic@denverpost.com or @morgandzak
Gymnastics state meet
Friday and Saturday results
CLASS 5A TOP-FIVE TEAM SCORES
1. Pomona 190.925
2. Broomfield 185.875
3. Rocky Mountain 184.900
4. Overland 184.200
5. Cherry Creek 183.075
5A all-around winner: Kelsey Boychuk, Pomona, 38.825
5A individual event winners
Vault: Kelsey Boychuk, Pomona, 9.800
Bars: Alyssa Minyard, Pomona, 9.700
Floor: Autumn Bottke, Rocky Mountain, 9.825
Beam: Kelsey Boychuk, Pomona, 9.800
CLAA 4A TOP-FIVE TEAM SCORES
1. Niwot 178.200
2. Elizabeth 177.175
3. Pueblo Central 166.525
4. Standley Lake 163.650
5. Thompson Valley 162.750
4A all-around winner: Rachel Cody, Standley Lake, 36.625
4A individual event winners
Vault: Ila Katechis, Niwot, 9.450
Bars: Marissa Koski, Niwot, 9.325
Floor: Lexye Wood, Elizabeth, 9.450
Beam: Ila Katechis, Niwot, 9.600
