It’s hard for Auburn Mountainview gymnastics coach Jayme Hostetter to compare last year’s team with this year’s.

After all, last year’s team took third-place at the Washington State 3A meet, while this year’s group is heading into the South Puget Sound League 3A Division sub-district hot on the heels of a 168.55 team finish in its final regular season meet this past Monday.

“It’s hard to say if we’re better, because, last year I had four pretty solid kids,” Jayme Hostetter said.

Last season, the team relied heavily on the talents of Sunny Lennon, who has since graduated, Alexi Moore, who has not competed this season because of an injury, as well as Natalie Hostetter and Ashley Perkovich, who have led the team this season.

Still, Jayme Hostetter doesn’t seem too worried about the team’s chances now that the postseason is upon it. The reason for her optimism is the team’s depth this season.

“I think I have a little more depth down to spots five six or seventh,” Jayme Hostetter said. “Adding kids like Jecinda Goodman, Kendra Alexson and Michelle Tanco has improved the team, as has the addition of Sara Fiskdal. So I think we’re a little deeper this year.”

Natalie Hostetter, who scored 35.40 all-around points against Decatur and Kentwood on Monday, said she knew from the beginning that the team’s depth would be crucial this year.

“We definitely were expecting to be as good if not better this year,” Natalie Hostetter said. “Our number three and four girls have really stepped up. I actually think we’re better than last year because we have more depth.”

In addition to having more depth, Perkovich, who was the all-around winner on Monday with a 36.55, said the team’s unity is also a big factor in their improvement.

“We’re a better team than we were at the beginning of the season,” Perkovich said. “We’ve bonded more. At the beginning of the season we weren’t really a team yet, there was more personality clashes and drama.”

“I think we’re getting there,” Jayme Hostetter added. “We had a pretty good meet (Monday), kids are gelling, and things are happening and we’re heading in the right direction. It’s all about peaking at the right time.”

And that time is now, with the team set to compete in the SPSL 3A sub-district meet beginning at 5 p.m. this Saturday at Kentwood.

Although the team will compete on the same mat as the heavyweights in the SPSL 4A, such as Kentlake, Puyallup and Auburn Riverside, the Lions’ scores will only count against their fellow 3A teams, Bonney Lake, Sumner and a mixed team from the North Mason School District.

“There is kind of not really a lot of competition,” Perkovich said. “For us, it’s just another practice meet for districts. I just want to not get too nervous. It’s just another meet. I just want to hit all my events and help the team.

Still, Jayme Hostetter said, just having the team competing on the same mat as the 4A teams helps a little.

“The kids know how the other gymnasts are doing; the scores are out there,” she said. “The kids regardless always want to win. I have to remind them that now is the time to put this together and perfect this. This is the practice for the next meet which is practice for the state meet.”

The SPSL 3A sub-district meet begins at 5 p.m. Saturday at Kentwood High School.