Graduating gymnast continues to captivate with power, grace
February 1, 2011
Olivia Goree, Issaquah senior, works her balance beam routine to earn a score of 9.05 Jan. 13 against Eastlake, Roosevelt and Bothell. By Greg Farrar
Issaquah High School senior Olivia Goree has been competing in gymnastics since she was 6. But it’s been in the past four years, during her time on the high school team, that she developed a true passion for the sport.
Goree, who decided to leave her competitive club team upon entering high school, said, “Coming to high school is more of a team aspect. Club is more individual.”
She said she found club to be much more stressful.
“I was kind of a perfectionist, but I think high school gymnastics has allowed me to let go of all of that stress and really enjoy the sport for what it is,” she said.
Goree has furthered her talents and gained recognition for her success. Last year, she finished seventh in all-around competition and third on the balance beam at the 4A state championships. This year, The Seattle Times mentioned her in its “Gymnastics preview: 5 Things to Watch” under the category of “Who looks strong individually in 4A.”
Eagles finally return to home floor
January 18, 2011
Olivia Goree leads Issaquah to second-place on senior night
Olivia Goree, Issaquah High School senior, is way high and upside down while earning 9.8 on her floor routine Jan. 13 as teammates look on. By Greg Farrar
Olivia Goree capped off Issaquah High School’s first home gymnastics meet in a couple of years Jan. 13 by winning the floor competition.
Not only did her score of 9.8 help her garner a fourth-place finish in the all around rankings, but it put a nice little highlight on the team’s senior night of recognition, coach Ryan Fleisher said.
“It was a nice little neat and tidy bow at the end of the meet,” Fleisher said.
Bothell won the meet with 168.4 points, Issaquah took second with 167.85, Roosevelt scored 160.55 and Eastlake was fourth with its highest score of the year at 135.1. Read more
Issaquah looks to re-assume the mantle of gymnastics powerhouse
December 14, 2010
Olivia Goree performs to a third-place finish at state on the balance beam in February during the 4A Gymnastics Championships in the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Center. By Don Borin/Stop Action Photography/www.donborin.com
The Issaquah High School girls team took on two perennial powers Dec. 8 as the Eagles opened their 4A KingCo Conference season.
Issaquah placed third in the meet against longtime heavyweights Newport and Woodinville, both who have ranked among the state’s top teams over the years. Newport won 3A state titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008 before moving up to the 4A level. Woodinville entered this season having won four straight 4A state titles.
Thus, the Eagles were not competing against Sisters of the Poor.
Newport won the meet with 168.65 points to just edge out Woodinville, which was second with 165.2. Issaquah, which won 3A state titles from 2002-04, was third with a respectable total of 161.6 points. Read more
Issaquah, Liberty gymnasts come up short in openers
December 10, 2010
NEW — 11 a.m. Dec. 10, 2010
The Issaquah High School and Liberty gymnastics teams took on some perennial powers Thursday as they opened their KingCo Conference seasons.
Issaquah placed third in a 4A KingCo meet with heavyweights Newport and Woodinville, both who usually rank among the state’s top teams. Newport, which won 3A state titles 2008,2007 and 2006 before moving to the 4A level, finished first in the meet with 168.65 points. The Knights just edged out Woodinville, which has won the last four 4A state titles.The Falcons were second with 165.2 points. Issaquah, the 3A state champion from 2002-04, was third with 161.6 points.
“We did better than we expected. We opened the season with our toughest meet of the season. I was really pleased with the way our team performed,” Issaquah coach Ryan Fleisher said.
Olivia Goree, of Issaquah, took third all-around with a 34.8. She also placed first on the balance beam with a 9.5. Teammate AJ Bowers took first on the vault with a 9.0.
Gymnast springs to finish second at national trampoline championships
August 10, 2010
Ashleigh Thomas, an incoming Issaquah High School senior, performs at a nationally competitive level on the double-mini trampoline. Contributed
Ashleigh Thomas, an Issaquah High School senior, jumped, flipped, twisted and turned her way into second place on the double-mini trampoline at the USA Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling 2010 U.S. Elite Challenge at Virginia Beach in June.
Thomas finished her first meet as a senior-elite on the double-mini trampoline with 130.4 points and an invitation to the U.S. Nationals VISA Cup next month in Hartford, Conn., according to her mother Cathie Richardson. She has also earned points toward selection for the 2010 Senior National team that competes at the world championships.
Thomas began her gymnastics career at age 3, doing the traditional artistic gymnastics with bars, beams and floor routines. She decided to use trampolines to help her improve her floor skills, and ended up loving the trampoline and continued with it.
While trampoline is an Olympic event, double mini trampoline has yet to gain that status.
“It’s really a pretty good little sport,” Richardson said. “It’s really growing in popularity.”
Issaquah sends three gymnasts to state
February 16, 2010
Risa Fukuda, of Issaquah vaults to a state-qualifying 9.2 during the 4A Sea-King District gymnastics meet at Sammamish High School, under a ‘Girls Gymnastics’ banner hanging from the ceiling. By Greg Farrar
The Issaquah High School gymnastics team has something to cheer about. Three of its standout gymnasts are headed to state after strong performances at the Class 4A Sea-King District 1 and 2 Gymnastics Championships Feb. 13 at Sammamish High School.
Olivia Goree took fourth place in the all-around competition, qualifying for state with a total score of 36.25 points. She scored an 8.65 on bars, 9.125 on vault, 9.225 on beam and 9.25 on the floor routine, according to coach Ryan Fleisher.
Teammate Risa Fukuda qualified for state in the vault and floor events, placing fifth and eighth, respectively.
Eva Perry also heads to state Feb. 19-20 after she tied for 11th in the floor event, according to Fleisher.
Skyline sent a pair of athletes to the district meet, but neither will move on to state. Read more
Short-handed gymnasts tumble to second behind Mount Si
January 19, 2010
Olivia Goree, Issaquah junior, sticks a solid dismount somersault from the balance beam Jan. 14 during a meet against host Mount Si, Newport and Olympia, earning 9.8 on the apparatus. By Greg Farrar
The Issaquah High School gymnastics team came up just short against Mount Si on Jan. 14, but beat Newport and Olympia in a four-team meet.
It didn’t help that Issaquah’s best gymnast, Risa Fukuda, was out sick and another top performer, Taryn Chin, was competing with a minor injury.
“It was a little bit of a rough meet,” Issaquah coach Ryan Fleisher said.
Still, the Eagles finished only a few points behind the Wildcats, 164.9-161.75.
Issaquah has a younger team this year, with Chin being the only senior on the varsity squad. Last year, the team had four seniors on the squad it sent to the Class 4A state tournament.
Younger and competing in all road meets while the high school undergoes renovations, the Eagles face a difficult road to get back to state.
“This year, we’re not as deep as we’ve been,” Fleisher said. Read more
Liberty gymnasts fall to Skyline
January 12, 2010
Hannah Bergam, Liberty sophomore, vaults Jan. 7 in a gymnastics meet against Skyline. She took third overall with 30.6 points and won second place on the balance beam. By Greg Farrar
Although the Jan. 7 KingCo Conference gymnastics meet at Liberty High School marked Liberty’s senior night, the Patriots fell to the Skyline Spartans, 149.3 to 146.15.
Redmond also attended the meet, competing against Skyline, but Redmond racked up 162.2 points for the win.
Skyline’s Amy Bearman took first overall in the match against Liberty, scoring 33.8 points. She scored first on the floor, beam and bars, and second on the vault.
“I think we made a lot of progress over winter break learning new skills,” Bearman said. “We had a lot of positive energy tonight.”
Liberty’s Cortney Schirman took second overall with 31.1 points, and Hannah Bergam took third with 30.6 points. Bergam took second on beam, and Schirman took first on the vault and second on the floor.
Schirman said she particularly enjoyed performing her floor routine. Read more
Patriot gymnasts stumble against Mount Si Wildcats
December 22, 2009
Miranda Jones, Liberty senior gymnast, performs her routine on the uneven bars Dec. 17 during the Patriots’ meet against Mount Si. By Greg Farrar
Liberty High School gymnasts came home for their first home meet this season to face Mount Si, last year’s 3A KingCo Conference champion. With a young team and new assistant coach, the Patriots were overmatched by the Wildcats, who took the Dec. 17 meet 160.05-145.5.
Despite the loss, which dropped the Patriots record to 1-1, it was a good night for the program, said Shannon Van Selus, the team’s new assistant coach.
The Liberty team has a core of experienced older girls, but is mostly made up of girls with only a few years in competitive gymnastics. None of the new girls compete in club gymnastics during the off-season. But head coach Lori Copenhaver said she sees potential.
“For what they’re coming in with and their motivation to work, I feel really good about the program,” she said.
She and Van Selus have focused on building the girls’ fundamentals, while expanding their repertoire. Read more
Eagles fail to qualify for finals
February 23, 2009
Miranda Jones, of Liberty, performs her floor exercise routine Feb. 20 in 3A individual competition, collecting an 8.575 in the event. By Greg Farrar
The Issaquah gymnastics team placed several athletes in the top 20, yet wasn’t able to advance anyone to the finals at the Class 4A championships Feb. 20 at the Tacoma Dome.
Several Eagles just missed moving on to the finals at the event, won by fellow KingCo foe Woodinville.
“I’m happy. I think they all did pretty well,” Issaquah head coach Ryan Fleisher said. “We had a couple of girls right there on the edge and they just missed qualifying. But everybody was in the top 20, so I’m pleased.”
Risa Fukuda and Olivia Goree were the Eagles who came closest to qualifying for the finals. Goree placed 12th on the bars with an 8.65, 1.25 off the last finals qualifying score. Fukuda placed 12th on the beam with a 9.125, less than a point off the last finals qualifying score.
Woodinville won the team competition with a score of 182.975. Kentlake’s Kayla Shira was the all-around champ, scoring a 38.05.
