Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE -ÊWhen Wawasee gymnastics coach Nika Prather saw Lindsay Olson for the first time, she knew Olson was special.
That was nine years ago when Olson, now a freshman heading to the state gymnastics competition, was in kindergarten.
"I picked Lindsay out in kindergarten," said Prather. "I had her sister, Mandy, for four years and her sister, Kristen, a 1998 graduate, was a gymnast as well. I saw Lindsay for the first time at a one-day clinic when she was in kindergarten. I recognized her talent right away. I liked what I saw. She was strong, agile and fearless."
But Olson did not start to concentrate on gymnastics until several years later.
"When Lindsay was in fifth or sixth grade, she started to devote more time to gymnastics," said Prather. "She started to practice more and develop her skills."
Now that Olson is a freshman at Wawasee, she has been at the top of the heap through the season. Last week at the Valparaiso Regional, Olson advanced to the state meet in the balance beam competition.
What stands out about Olson's routine?
"It's so clean," said Prather. "Everything about her routine is just so clean. Her skills are so sharp and so well done. She has done her routines very well this season. Several times she has received bonus points for performing skills almost perfectly. In fact she receives bonus points quite often. She has had very few deductions this season, but her routine at the regional was extremely good.
"She is just so pretty to watch. She is graceful, balanced, just pretty. Her entire routine is very nice. The thing I like best is probably her jump and leap combination."
But Olson's road to the state finals was not an easy one.
At the regional, Olson had two bad falls during the practice rounds before it was her time to compete.
"She missed her dismount and narrowly escaped serious injury," said Prather. "One fall was right before her routine. I asked her if she wanted me to stand next to her for her dismount, and she said, 'No, I can do it.'
"That took a lot of guts. A lot of other girls would have been shaken by the falls. She went on to complete her routine almost perfectly. For a freshman, especially, to be that gutsy is pretty impressive."
Olson is also an alternate for the vault competition at the state meet. And Prather knows all too well that an alternate must be ready to go at any time.
Tierney Prather, Nika's daughter, was an alternate on the balance beam in 1996. The night before the state meet, someone was injured, and she got to compete in the state meet.
"You never know," said Prather. "That's why we keep practicing the week before. Tierney was staying all night at a friend's house when the Merrillville coach called to tell me someone was injured in practice. We headed out early the next morning for the state competition."
Olson will compete in the state meet at 1 p.m. Saturday at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.
