Niwot gymnastics brings home win against Thompson Valley

In the Niwot gymnastics team’s second to last meet in the regular season, it was able to beat out Thompson Valley for another win.

Head Coach Marisa Purcell said the meet was great overall, even though the scores were lower, partially because neither team competed on vault.

“Even though the score was lower, we had a lot of improvements on floor from working on jumps,” Purcell said. “Overall it looked better - that was really an improvement. Thompson valley tends to be a quick and quieter meet because it’s such a small gym.”

Purcell said the girls were just having fun at the meet, which she believed allowed them to perform better.

“It was being able to go to floor and really execute those floor routines,” Purcell said. “And the girls had a good time. They enjoyed doing their routines. It was loud, they were cheering each other on. It felt like a fun meet and you could tell in their performance.”

They also had their nerves more under control, which helped them execute their performances the same way they do at practice. Purcell said that’s not always the case when they’re feeling anxious.

“It’s confidence building in going in and being able to execute those routines you do at practice,” Purcell explained. “So many times it happens that what you do at practice doesn’t always come out that way, because of the nerves and everything going into a meet.”

Over the last couple weeks, Purcell said the team has been working on growing the girls’ confidence despite injuries. Erica Bortfeldt and Aleigh Trimble, who were injured last week, have still not been released to compete again.

“Each week we’re just building on the confidence now, that they’re capable of doing all these things I know they can do, but they have to know it for themselves too.”

The Cougar gymnastics team, which is composed of athletes from several schools in the St. Vrain Valley School District, is preparing for its final home meet of the season, which is also senior night, against Broomfield on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.

“All the routines coming together,” Purcell said of how they’re preparing. “That’s kind of the main thing we’re focusing on is just being able to really compete as a team. Six for six on each event.”

The girls will be continuing to practice in the gym and get “ready for these last big meets that we have coming in the next couple weeks,” Purcell said. And of course, building that confidence.