After watching five of her six gymnasts fall off the beam during the team competition at the Washington State 3A Gymnastics Championships, Auburn Mountainview coach Jayme Hostetter may have been just a little alarmed.

“I was just worried that was going to take us out of the running,” Hostetter said.

Only senior Lexi Morton managed to stay on the apparatus, posting a 9.300 performance.

“It’s not that we did bad, it’s just that the week before (at the regionals) we had a no-fall outing,” Hostetter said. “Everybody who went up for the beam had their 10.0 start value, and the first couple of kids missed some series and didn’t get the 10.0, and then they fell. So the combination of the two put some of the kids more than a point behind. It wasn’t horrible, I think it was a pretty typical beam outing.”

With the defending 3A champs from Columbia River leading and only one event left on the rotation, Hostetter said she knew the Lions still had a chance. All they needed was top-rate floor routines and a sub-par performance from Columbia River on the bars.

“I told the kids that we weren’t out of it yet,” Hostetter said. “Because I knew that Columbia River had some beginner bar routines or novice bar routines, which have a lower start value. I knew it was possible, but that we would have to do our absolute best to win. I didn’t know how far away we were. I just went, into floor telling them to just give all you got, and we’ll see how it turns out.’ I thought it turned out darn good.”

Aided by the Chieftains poor showing on the bars and by stellar floor routines from the Lions, the Auburn Mountainview gymnasts managed to catch and surpass Columbia River and post 169 team points, good enough for the school’s first ever state title.

“At the end of floor, a reporter from another paper came up and asked if I wanted to know the unofficial score,” Hostetter said.

Hostetter said she declined.

“I didn’t think we won,” she said. “And then he asked what it was like to be the state champion. Of course a couple of the kids overheard, but I shooed them away because I didn’t want them to be upset if it was wrong.”

The Lions finished the team competition with first place finishes on the vault and the floor.

Morton, who posted a 9.475 floor routine and a 9.475 on the vault, finished the competition with a 36.450, seventh-place all-around.

Junior Natalie Hostetter was eighth all-around with a 35.500, coming in sixth on the floor with a 9.400 and ninth on the vault with a 9.200.

“I think one of the differences is that we had a little bit stronger vault than we did last year,” Hostetter said. “With both Natalie and Lexi doing supes, that really helped. We had some big vaults.

“And we were just deeper,” she continued. “Four, five and six were just really strong kids. I told the kids all year that they may not have everything, but just do what you do and do it well. And that’s kind of what we did. Everybody did what I expected them to do, and that’s why we were in it, that’s why we kept close.”

In addition to Morton’s and Hostetter’s performances, the team was aided by Sara Fiksdal’s 25th place all-around finish.

The team was also helped by the rest of the squad – Katie Hayward, Jecinda Goodman, Sydney Coleman, Michelle Tanco, Cassie Hunt, Lauren Kmiechick, Kenzie Treece, Alex Gondry and Kristina Garimchuck.

Although Hostetter said the first-place finish, after taking home second-place last season and third the year before, was “more fun than you can imagine,” she added that it was also nice to deliver Auburn Mountainview’s first ever state title to principal Teri Herren, a former Auburn High School gymnastics coach.

“She was in tears she was so excited,” Hostetter said. “She has been such a good support system for our kids, it’s been nice having her along. She was just thrilled to be part of her school winning first.”

Columbia River finished second at the team competition with 167.10 points. Holy Names was third with 164.80, followed by Mount Si with 164.35.

In Saturday’s individual events competition, Morton and Hostetter also distinguished themselves with placings in all four events. Morton was third on the floor with a 9.625, sixth on the vault with a 9.300, 14th on the bars with an 8.175 and 16th on the beam with a 7.975.

Hostetter was fifth on the vault with a 9.325, tied for 11th with a 9.375 on the floor and 14th on the bars with an 8.175.

Coach Hostetter hopes the state title is just the start of a continued tradition of winning for the Lion gymnastics program.

“You just keep working hard and hope that the kids train, at clubs or wherever, and stay motivated and keep rolling,” she said.

ALSO: Auburn’s Alexis Moore and Auburn Riverside’s Danielle Parris were also on hand at the Tacoma Dome this past week, competing in individual events. Parris finished third on the bars with a 9.225 score.