Welsh, Wenzlau, Samstag and Wilson ready to lead Spartans to state.

The recent cold snap made life difficult for everyone in Western Washington.

The Bainbridge gymnastics team was no different, as they lost three days of practice due to the inclement weather.

“That really hurt us,” head coach Cindy Guy said. “We still have a lot of work to do on (routines). We’re just trying to do the best we can.”

The team had to redo their floor routines, as they couldn’t use the same ones from last year, finalizing them just a few days ago.

Despite the harried schedule of late, the Spartans look to be improved from last year.

Coming in as the defending 3A state champs from the previous season, the Spartans continued their in-season dual meet winning streak, but lost the Metro title to their rival West Seattle – the first time in four years Bainbridge didn’t return home with the championship.

They rebounded to finish fourth at the district meet, then placed seventh at the state meet in Tacoma.

Marie Welsh was the only one to win an individual title, as she shared the bars championship with Kennedy’s Anissa Madrid. She also finished third in the all-around competition.

They lost veterans and team captains Liz Annis and Emily Basile, but several are returning, including state qualifiers in Welsh, Sophie Wenzlau and Lauren Fleming, all juniors.

Wenzlau qualified for the floors, bars and beam events at state, while Fleming made it to the vault and beam events.

Also returning are senior Katherine Samstag, junior Stella Wilson, and sophomores Annie Zuckermann, Kathleen Callahan, Elly Angell, Kalise Ball, Chelsea Manke and Shelby Nelson.

“Our returners are equal or better than they were last season,” Guy said.

Samstag and Wilson are the team captains this year and both see much improvement in everyone as well.

“We worked really hard to get all the routines down,” Wilson said. “You have to have a certain amount of practices before your first meet and missing those three made it really hard. Everyone had to be there for every single practice.”

Guy said the two have been proactive in organizing summer and fall workout programs to boost participation and performance.

“They have just done a super job of organizing everyone,” she said. “When Lorry or I ask them for help, they’re right there.”

They’ll be joined by several newcomers, including freshmen Eva Fazzini, Katie Mathews, Talia Weiss, Katie Bonneau, Alex Dahl and Mackenzie Teddy.

Guy likes the incoming talent and feels that the team chemistry is stellar.

“The new kids have been really hard workers,” she said. “Everybody works so hard and we don’t have anybody sitting around and (just) talking. It’s been a really fun team. We don’t have any snappy attitudes or anything.”

While the team is young – Samstag is the only senior and there are only four juniors – the team captains say the younger kids can perform.

“We have way more freshman competing than usual,” Wilson said. “We have a lot more depth this year.

“The freshman work really hard, which is good” Samstag said. “They’ve got a routine down and everything.”

Another strength of theirs is their all-around ability, as the two feel they can score points at every event.

Their depth and experience will be crucial to ensuring they not only make it to the postseason meets, but continue their winning streak, which currently stands at 82 wins.

Guy said the streak is important, but there is pressure to keep it going.

“They’ve already talked about it,” she said. “It’s their pressure, but that really pushes them. They’re really driven.”

They’ll get competition from West Seattle, Mercer Island, Issaquah and an improved North Kitsap squad, but they’re not worried about what awaits them at the end of the season.

“We just try to take it one meet at a time,” Wilson said. “We’re not trying to look to the end of the season.”

That’s Guy’s mentality as well, but she feels if they can avoid any serious injuries and mental lag, they can be in Tacoma in February competing for a title.

“Last year, I felt we had too many meets at the end of the season and we were tired,” she said. “So I switched it around and hopefully we peak at the right time.

“I’m looking forward to it. I love the chance that we have to be there.”