At the start of the season, gymnastics coach Diane Wavrik could tell that the team this year was full of potential. Both her and the gymnasts themselves felt they had the ability to make it further than all the years of Westview gymnasts before them, which excited both the coaches and the team.

In 2019, Westview set a school record of a team score of 217.325. This year, they broke that school record, scoring a 218.85, April 18.

“It’s something that we’ve worked for for a long time,” Wavrik said. “We were the only sport that didn’t have a season last year. [It] was a lot, and they’ve worked their butts off to get to high school gymnastics, so [breaking the school record] is definitely rewarding, and I really feel like they deserve it.”

As mentioned by both the coaches and gymnasts themselves, there are notable differences between this year’s team versus previous seasons in terms of skill level and potential. 

“[Their] team work ethic is really strong, and I know the’ve very motivated and strive for excellence” Wavrik said. “One of the really exciting things for us is that we have so much depth, so we’re not just relying on a few people, but it’s really the whole team is contributing, and if someone is injured or sick or something, we still have a really strong team score.”

Soina Williams (12) said she’s seen the team improve and do well as a whole, and she attributes their great scores to not only skill, but also the chemistry the gymnasts have with each other.

“My freshman year was a lot different because a lot of the people on the team weren’t inclusive,” Williams said. “It’s the culture of gymnastics. We’re having so many team-bonding activities [now.] We’re getting to know each other and we’re developing in many aspects, being encouraging and supportive.”

Williams also said that the coaches are pushing the team more in comparison to past years after realizing the potential of the team.

“It’s super-exciting,” Wavrik said. “I think for this group, being very talented, achieving their potential is definitely happening, and it hasn’t happened in some years past. So that’s what I’ll say is different about this team, they’re achieving the potential that they already have. We have very few falls , so that’s really going to help us in the postseason.”

Bhavaani Nayak (9), who placed first on bars in varsity compulsory on senior night, said that she also feels the community building, not with just the other girls on the team, but also their coach.

“They definitely help me a lot through mental blocks and getting new skills,” Nayak said.

The gymnastics team had their Senior Night in the gym, April 27, and ended up beating their previous best score by 4.5 points, with a total of 223.35.

“Not only is every single person on the team dedicated, but they also put in their work and do their part to make the team succeed as a whole,” Williams said.

Williams said she is hopeful for the future, seeing the way that the team is encouraging each other, as well as practicing.

According to  Wavrik, the gymnastics team this year is very ambitious.

“They really know what the goal is, and they’ve been working at it,” Wavrik said.

Wavrik also said she felt that the gymnasts were either on the way to or had already unlocked their full potential for their time being.

“You won’t just get good at [gymnastics] by working hard,” Wavrik said. “I think for this group, achieving their potential is definitely happening, and it hasn’t happened in some years past. So that’s what I’ll say is different about this team: they’re achieving the potential that they already have. I think that this is definitely the best team we’ve had at Westview.”