Wawasee junior Reagan Atwood is looking forward to a huge gymnastics season. (File photo by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – The Wawasee gymnastics team is hitting the ground running this winter. After a rebirth, of sorts, last year, the ladies are looking to grab their first sectional crown since 2004.

The 2015-16 campaign for Wawasee was one that started with cautious optimism but that quickly changed as the girls were exceeding expectations early on. Wawasee peaked following a one-point win over Elkhart Central. The two rivals met again in the sectional where Wawasee would capture its regional ticket, but lost the sectional by one point to the Blazers.

The regional was far from kind to the Warriors as they finished last in the six-team field. Without a huge club presence or year-round facility, Wawasee’s offseason did not really start until late October, putting the team behind the eight ball of defending sectional champion Central.

“We haven’t had much of an offseason,” said head coach Nika Prather. “We don’t have any equipment that we can just roll out so it’s hard to get any practices in before our equipment is set up. We encourage the girls to go to other places to get their workouts in if they can but we’ve had little response to that. Kids work. A lot of kids have jobs or are in other sports, so it’s really hard. It puts us at a disadvantage with some other teams.”

While the offseason set up is far from ideal for Prather’s team, she will certainly be the envy of most coaches this winter as she graduated just one gymnast from last year’s regional-qualifying team and is able to get another back from injury.

“Ashleigh Frecker is the one senior we graduated and we had a few other girls switch to being managers this year,” Prather explained. “Other than that, we bring a lot of girls back. Leigh-Ann Shrack is back for us after breaking her wrist last season. Haleigh Smarr is another senior that comes back with a lot of varsity experience. Autumn Yoder also saw some varsity time last season and she’s knows she’ll have to really work hard for more opportunities this year, and I know she’s one that will do it. She’s so focused and very determined.”

The junior class is the biggest for Prather’s team, boasting four girls and two-time defending sectional floor champion Reagan Atwood.

“My juniors have a lot of talent as well,” said the coach. “Meghan Beer who was varsity in several events last year. Kalynn Workman and Katelyn Baker also return for us in that group. They’re both hoping to break through and see the varsity events more this season.

“Reagan is also in my junior class and she, of course, had a great season. She earned another sectional floor championship and did well at the regional. But, she’s hoping to surpass all that this year. She had goals she didn’t make last year and will look to accomplish those and more this season. Al my juniors are in that boat, they all want to build on what they did last year. Which is what you want to see.”

The sophomore class is small, but mighty. Alyssa Minnix and Jada Parzygnot are the only returning sophomores but both had huge roles on last year’s team. Parzygnot was crowned sectional beam champion to highlight her freshman campaign.

“My two sophomores, Alyssa and Jada, were both on the sectional and regional teams last year,” Prather said. “They contributed a lot right off the bat. This year’s freshman (Aundreya Wegener and Katie Haines) will look to do the same for us.”

Prather’s team is truly reloaded, but that’s the same story for a Central team that will pose the biggest threat to Wawasee’s sectional aspirations this season.

“We want to be consistent,” Prather explained. “It’s maddening when you’re inconsistent. We were a much more consistent team last year than we had been in recent seasons. So, I anticipate that we’ll be the same way this year from start to finish.”

But is this team entering with bigger expectations this season?

“Yes,” said Prather without hesitation. “Yes, because we missed out last year and we know where we failed. Knowing that going in is going to help. We know where our weaknesses were and we’re going in with the focus of not having those weaknesses this year. We tasted it last year at sectionals. One point. This year is all up to them. It’s about what they want their story to be.”

Wawasee opened its season Dec. 17 at the LaPorte Pairs in an individual showcase and start its team campaign at the Elkhart Central Blazer Invite later today.