When Maine South senior gymnast Lauryn Rotonda performs on the floor exercise, her enthusiasm and joy stand out.
Both were almost immediately evident at the Hersey Regional on Thursday night. They were on display even before her beautiful dancing and two graceful tumbling passes.
“I’m a nervous wreck before I get out on the floor … but just the moment I step on the floor, take a huge deep breath before I lie down [to start the routine] — and it’s noticeable in every video — I just perform,” Rotonda said. “That’s my thing. I love to dance. I love to show it off. It’s so exciting for me to be out there, and I get so happy.”
Rotonda had a passion for floor exercise as a sophomore, but its only intensified after she didn’t compete for the Hawks as a junior.
Rotonda sat out last season because her left shoulder would dislocate regularly. It was so bad that Rotonda couldn’t do a single pushup because her shoulder would pop out of place. Gymnastics, therefore, was practically impossible.
Rotonda went to physical therapy for nine months to try to build the strength in her shoulder in an effort to return for her senior season. Last year, she also stayed very involved with the Hawks during the gymnastics season.
She was a chameleon of sorts. Rotonda worked with her teammates on their jumps and performance — she was dubbed “The Sass Coach,” according to Maine South coach Tessa Robinson — on floor exercise. She also set up the board on vault and helped set the uneven parallel bars during practices. In meets, she’d fill out score sheets and report scores at times — in addition to being a strong leader and avid supporter of her teammates, according to Robinson.
“Anything that needed to be done, she was right there,” Robinson said.
But for Rotonda, there’s nothing like being out there performing. That was a major reason why she decided to return for her senior year, even though there’s a risk she re-injures her shoulder — which would likely result in surgery.
Rotonda planned to take things slow this season, she said, and she initially expected to only compete at the Cental Suburban South, regional and sectional meets. Rotonda’s shoulder has held up all year, however, and she has competed on floor exercise throughout the season.
Rotonda has been a steady presence on floor, Robinson said, and she’s performing her best at the right time. Rotonda tied 2013 Maine South graduate Haleigh Sir for the third-highest score (9.475) in school history on floor exercise at the CSL South meet on Jan. 30. She advanced to the sectional by taking fifth with a 9.25 on Thursday night.
Getting one of the top-five scores in the history of Maine South on floor exercise was Rotonda’s biggest goal entering the season, she said. Everything that follows — including a possible state berth, if she nails her routine at the Thursday’s Lake Park Sectional — is just an added bonus.
“I was happy with [the 9.475], so making it to sectionals is even more exciting,” Rotonda said. “If I make it to state, great. If not, I’m happy with the run I’ve had this year.”
Notes
* Maine South scored a 139.30 to finish second at the Hersey Regional. Prairie Ridge (149.05) was first and advanced to the sectional. Maine East (97.625) was fifth.
* Sophomore Alysa Chiovatero was fourth in the all-around (35.525) for the Hawks. She also tied for third on beam (9.15), earning a pair of automatic berths to the sectional. At-large berths will be announced once all of the state’s regionals have been completed.
* Maine East senior Rachel Maurer competed in the all-around on Thursday night for the first time in her career. She scored a 24.725 to finish in 12th out of 13 gymnastics. Senior Aornina Abram was 13th (19.5). Abram didn’t compete on floor exercise because she jammed all four fingers on her right hand on vault at the beginning of the meet.
Eric Van Dril is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter: @VanDrilSports
