Following the 2006-07 season, Redmond High School was in grave danger of losing its gymnastics program.
Having gone through its sixth coach since 1999, Athletic Director John Appelgate sent a desperate plea to a man who formerly coached his kids at Eastside Gymnastics Academy in Woodinville.
“He contacted me last year and said Redmond was losing their coach,” second-year Mustang coach Jason Farr recalled. “I hemmed and hawed for a while… Nowadays you got a lot of schools just giving up on it and going to cheerleading. I just wasn’t willing to let that go, so I agreed to take it.”
BABY STEPS
Farr, who has been coaching gymnastics for 22 years, inherited a program that was struggling with a low turnout and little leadership. After the team finished in last place at every meet last year, the girls expected Farr to abandon ship.
But Farr promised he was here to stay, knowing that with some hard work and dedication he could build a competitive team.
“We look really good this season,” Farr said. “I was surprised, last year we were dead last, and at our first meet this year we beat every score we had last year.”
When you’re used to being a cellar-dweller, even the little accomplishments seem like huge moral victories, and the girls were elated to finish third instead of last in their first meet of the year last Thursday.
“The girls were thrilled, it was the first time we pulled that off,” Farr recalled. “A lot of the newer girls shocked me. I didn’t expect them to do that well, especially sitting in front of the judges and having all sorts of pressure like that.”
Leading the way for the Mustangs will be a pair of talented underclassmen, co-captains Marjorie Drieu and Ally Garcia.
Drieu, a sophomore who has been doing gymnastics for seven years, is a strong tumbler and shines on the floor events.
“She actually came and joined the gym here (at Eastside Gymnastics Academy),” Farr said. “She’s been working out most of the year and improved a lot.”
Garcia is a freshman who currently attends Redmond Junior High and has extensive experience.
“She’s right up there, her and Marjorie are going to be neck-and-neck.”
IN IT TO WIN IT
Finally having a team with a competitive edge and will to win, Farr said this season’s team has a much different feel than last year’s squad.
“We’d go to a meet, finish last, and they’d just giggle and laugh about it,” he said. “It didn’t bother me as long as they were having fun.”
Farr said his main goal is for every gymnast to improve over the course of the season, but he would also like to see his girls enjoy the sport and stick with it year-round.
“What I’d like to do is get a little more enrollment, and maybe do a little more promoting. It helps with all the parents getting involved,” said Farr, who noted that parents are volunteering to make programs and order sweatshirts for the team.
The chances of the Mustangs having that breakout year are increased even more due to the fact that Eastside Gymnastics Academy, where the team practices, will host all of Redmond’s home meets.
“Having the girls do meets here I think will help tremendously since they’re comfortable with it,” Farr said.
“Some of them hung out over the summer and helped us moving in, and that gave them a little sense of ownership.”
Fueled by Farr’s enthusiasm, Mustang gymnasts are confident that they can bring a resurgence to a program that has been through tough times.
“We’re lot better than last year,” said Drieu, who has state-tournament aspirations. “We got a lot of people that are getting really good and they all seem to be having a lot of fun. It’s going to be a really good season.”
REDMOND GYMNASTICS AT A GLANCE
• COACH: Jason Farr, 2nd season.
• LAST YEAR: Last place in 4A Kingco.
• 2008 TURNOUT: 15
TOP RETURNERS
• Soph. Marjorie Drieu: Hard worker is strong on the floor and bars.
• Sr. Christina Owen: One of the few seniors on the squad; will provide leadership to young team.
• Jr. Kim Kruse: Varsity swimmer and diver is an excellent all-around athlete.
KEY NEWCOMERS
• Fr. Ally Garcia: Has background as a competitive gymnast and already showing strong leadership ability.
• Soph. Dana Nachmanson: Track runner’s ability impressed coach. Look for big things once she gains confidence in certain events.
KEY MEET
• Thursday, Dec. 11 vs. Roosevelt, Newport and Juanita: Confidence will be on their side after already beaten Juanita earlier in the season. With a few strong individual performances, a second place finish is not out of reach.
DID YOU KNOW?
Coach Farr left his post as the assistant coach of an extremely successful Bothell High School team in 2007 to save the Mustangs. Under Farr’s direction, the Cougars won the Class 4A state title in 2006, the school’s first girls’ title in any sport.
