By Pete Borello
 courtesy of Lina Slack The Los Altos High gymnastics team shows off the awards it won at the Central Coast Section championships. Front row, from left, are Kristine Lee, Victoria Chin, Josefa Leonard, Lily Donovan-Seid, coach Lina Slack, Katie Hsih, Avery Gee and Arla Rosenzweig. Back row, from left, are Holly Leonard, Josefa’s mom and Slack’s former coach and mentor, and Jessica Lundgren. |
Although they weren’t among the top scorers, three girls brought up from junior varsity are largely responsible for Los Altos High’s second-place finish at the Central Coast Section gymnastics championships.
“They came through,” Eagles coach Lina Slack said of Lily Donovan-Seid, Josefa Leonard and Kristine Lee. “Without them, we wouldn’t have had a team score. I’m proud of how they stepped up.”
During the regular season, Los Altos didn’t have enough varsity competitors to post a team score in any of their four meets. Slack called up Donovan-Seid and Leonard, both seniors, and Lee, a junior, for the league meet in hopes of producing a team score high enough to qualify for CCS. The Eagles did just that, finishing second to St. Francis at the May 10 SCVAL South Division meet.
Los Altos was again runner-up to St. Francis at the CCS meet, held May 19 at Gymtowne Gymnastics Club in San Bruno. The Eagles scored a 174.325 to edge Gunn (174.100) for second; St. Francis tallied a 189.6 to capture an unprecedented seventh consecutive CCS crown.
Los Altos was led by freshman Arla Rosenzweig, who finished second all-around with a season-best score of 39.175. She won the vault (9.875) and placed third on both the uneven bars (9.825) and floor exercise (9.750).
“Arla has great potential,” Slack said. “Her gymnastics ability is so advanced as a freshman.”
Rosenzweig, fifth all-around at the league meet (37.25), upgraded her vault for CCS.
Avery Gee finished close behind her teammate at CCS, notching third place with a 39.15.
“She did a good job,” Slack said of the junior, who took sixth last year. “She had a nice double back on floor and did one of the most difficult vaults.”
Gee won floor (9.875), was second on the balance beam (9.775) and third on vault (9.825). Gee won all three events at the league meet and claimed all-around honors (39.3).
Los Altos’ next-best finishers at CCS - sophomore Jessica Lundgren (34.57) and freshman Victoria Chin (31.275) - placed 23rd and 38th all-around, respectively. Lee scored for the Eagles on beam (7.100) and floor (7.200), and Leonard on vault (7.750).
Slack, who returned to coach the team for a third year after taking last season off, was pleased with the results.
“I’m proud of our girls,” the 1991 Los Altos High graduate said. “The season was so short, but with the amount of time we had, the girls did a really good job.”
