Compulsory gymnast Bella Paguyo (9) balanced one foot in front of another on the beam. She jumps up into the air completing a perfect split leap. Her teammates cheer loudly as she lands and sticks it. 

Gymnastics defeated Mt. Carmel, 219.775-216.275, March 28, by placing top three in both compulsory and optional for all four events: beam, vault, bars, and floor. 

Optional gymnast May Ishitsuka (10) competed in bars and beam, placing second and fifth, respectively. 

“We did better than we could have anticipated because of our team and Mt. Carmel’s are very close in points, but we won by over three which is a lot in gymnastics,” Ishitsuka said. “I was really proud of both my routines.”

Paguyo placed first in two out of her four events. The four scores compiled together to determine her the compulsory all-around winner.

“This was my first time getting an [overall score of] 38 at a high-school meet,” Paguyo said. “I was very satisfied with all my scores and performances this time. It feels good to be on the podium as a freshman. I feel motivated to continue doing my best and working hard.”

Paguyo scored a 9.625/10 on her floor routine. 

“Out of the four events, my favorite is floor because that’s when I really get to show off my dance skills,” Paguyo said. “All the compulsory gymnasts do the same movements and skills. We do a roundoff back handspring back handspring, leaps, and many more movements on the floor. I feel like my performance and unique facials are able to entertain the judges.”

Although Paguyo said she is confident in her floor routine, she was still anxious about beam because of a developing back injury.

“I was very worried about my back walkover on the beam because I hurt my back from the amount of times I’ve been practicing it,” Paguyo said. “I have this saying with my friend, ‘one and done,’ which helps me get through skills. Once you do your skills, it’s over with, so there’s not as much pressure and you’re not as scared.” 

Similarly, optional gymnast Ellie Ye (9) said she was worried about certain aspects of her floor routine. She scored an 8.475/10 on floor and placed second.

“I was really nervous about my handstand double pirouette roll double turn,” Ye said. “[During my routine], I tried to focus on the current skill I’m doing rather than what I’m worried about, which helps me land skills. Thankfully, my routines went well [along with] the rest of the meet, but there is definitely still room for improvement for the upcoming ones.” 

Paguyo said that even if she makes a couple mistakes on the beam, she doesn’t let it rattle her.

“I normally mess up on beam because I get so scared, I make little mistakes like a wobble,” Paguyo said. “I don’t let it get to me because I know for the new event it’s a new score and start. I tell myself, ‘You can’t take the negativity with you.’”

According to Ye, this meet against the rivals was especially stressful for the team.

“Mt. Carmel is really good and we are at about the same level,” Ye said. “It made the meet more nerve-wracking and even more thrilling when we won.”

Regardless of the stress, Paguyo said she focused on enjoying the meet. 

“I don’t want to let [the stress] get to me, so I make sure to have fun surrounded by the people who will support and cheer for me,” Paguyo said. “Our coach told us to not worry about what the other team is doing and to stay in our own Westview bubble. They also said to visualize hitting and sticking all our skills.” 

Ishitsuka said visualizing her skills helps her nail her routines. 

“During meets we have coping mechanisms or in other words methods that you can use to help do well,” Ishitsuka said. “I like to just visualize my routines and think about the ideal routine I could do.”

Ishitsuka said at the meet the team worked on having a good attitude and focusing on their own performance.

“This meet we made sure to only worry about what happens in our team because we’ve struggled with that in the past,” Ishitsuka said. “We really stressed having a positive attitude towards others and also ourselves. I think that really brought us together and helped us win.”

Ishitsuka said being positive during meets helps the team perform well. 

“I like giving people pep talks and creating that supportive environment,” Ishitsuka said. “Having friends in the team to support you really alleviates the stress.”

Ye said that besides winning, creating a close-knit team is also important. 

“It’s not always about winning but more about getting closer to your teammates and growing with them,” Ye said. “I love our team spirit and it’s what makes meets and practice so fun.”

Paguyo said that her favorite part of the meets is bonding with her teammates. 

“I really like that every week we give gifts and write notes to each other for meets, it’s actually my favorite part,” Paguyo said. “I’m able to get to know everybody more and have more of a bond with them. I love my team.”