Compulsory gymnast Bella Paguyo (9) placed first in her beam, floor, and vault routines, winning all-around and leading Westview to its fourth consecutive CIF championship, May 23. The team narrowly beat rival Mt. Carmel by 0.1 points, 222.95-222.85.
“After hearing our scores, I was thinking back about how if one person fell or someone had a wobble, the outcome would have changed,” Paguyo said. “When they were just about to announce second place, I thought to myself, ‘It’s definitely us, we lost to MC.’ I remembered feeling very down and sad during awards because I was so sure that we had lost. So when they announced we won, the whole team started screaming, some girls even cried with happiness.”
Paguyo earned a personal high score on beam and bars, scoring 9.825 and 9.750, respectively. She was last to complete her beam, bars, and floor routines, which she said made her even more anxious before her performances.
“I’m the anchor for beam, which is the last person to compete, and so I couldn’t fall or else it would affect the team score,” Paguyo said. “I was so nervous about my beam routine because usually I have back problems, and doing the back walkover is the scariest skill I have to do. It was a lot of pressure because one of my teammates already fell twice before me, so I had to nail my routine. After I finished my back walkover and I stuck it, I was feeling really good about my whole routine. For bars I placed second, but regardless, I was very satisfied with my performance because I hit an all-season high.”
Paguyo said although competing in CIFs was intimidating, she was able to power through with the support of her teammates and family.
“Stepping into the gym to compete was so scary because of how many teams were there,” Paguyo said. “In previous meets throughout the season we only went up against one team each meet. It was very intimidating but I had all my teammates, coaches, and family there to support me. Knowing they were there for me helped calm my nerves and allowed me to focus on my routines.”
Returning from an injury last year, optional gymnast Joyce Chen (10) said she was excited to participate this year and help the team win. She placed first on her beam routine, scoring a 9.350.
“It felt so good to win because although I was on the team last year, I was injured and didn’t get to contribute to scores,” Chen said. “This year, actually being able to compete at CIFs, just felt really great, and I’m so proud of everything our team has accomplished. We fought for every single point and all did our very best; winning by only 0.1 makes me even more proud of us.”
Chen said the support her teammates give her has really helped her throughout the gymnastics season.
“Gymnastics is traditionally an individual sport, so these past few years I’ve been getting used to more of a team setting,” Chen said. “Competing as a team is so much easier for me because I know that even if I mess up, someone on our team will have my back. During our recent CIF meet we made an extra effort to cheer for each other.”
Optional gymnast and team captain Bhavaani Nayak (12) placed fifth overall on beam, scoring a 9.250. She said the meet was very stressful because the team wanted to keep up its winning streak.
“It was really nerve-wracking because we didn’t come in as strong as we could have which definitely put a damper on our spirits,” Nayak said. “There was a lot of pressure, especially because we’ve been defending the champion title for three years. Despite the nerves throughout the meet, hanging out with everybody gave a reassuring feeling that helped uplift everybody’s spirits.”
According to Nayak, after four years of hard work on the team, she’s proud of leaving a legacy in Westview gymnastics.
“It was really emotional to win CIFs my fourth and final year,” Nayak said. “Being able to leave after securing four wins in a row is like leaving with a bang. I feel like I was able to leave my impression on this school. My freshman year was the first year Westview gymnastics won a CIF title, so staying with the team and winning each year feels like making history.”
Nayak said she is grateful for her teammates who made the past few years a very special experience for her.
“Being done with gymnastics is very bittersweet,” Nayak said. “During our last CIF meet, I was feeling really happy and elated that we won. I was especially grateful for my team. They’re always there, they always show up, and they bring the consistent energy we need to keep the team morale up. I am so happy I got the opportunity to compete with such a wonderful group of girls, they truly made these years such a good experience.”
Nayak hopes that the team continues to foster a supportive environment next year.
“I hope that as captain this year and last year, through my leadership, I’ve shown these girls how wonderful it is to be part of this team,” Nayak said. “Hopefully through the upcoming years, they will continue to show all the incoming freshmen and other gymnasts how wonderful it is to be part of the Westview gymnastics community.”
