Auburn Mountainview gymnastics coach Jayme Hostetter makes no bones about her aspirations for this year’s squad.

“You let the kids know that this is where we were last year and that we’d like to maintain the standard,” Hostetter said.

Despite the loss of several seniors from last year’s state 3A championship squad – including Lexi Morton who was the Lions’ top gymnast and is now attending Boise State University – Hostetter says her lineup has the potential to repeat.

“I’ve let them know right away, we want to repeat,” she said. “I don’t know if that will happen, but we’d really like to repeat. We have the tools to do it, and if we can get them all lined up at the right time and at the right place at the end of the season, we’ll give it a shot.”

With Morton and Michelle Tanco lost to graduation, the Lions also will be without Sydney Coleman, who has decided not to turn out, Hostetter said.

Last year Morton was the driving force behind the team, helping the squad with a seventh-place finish in the all-around showdown at the state meet.

To be successful, the team will look to senior captain Natalie Hostetter to lead the way. Last season, she finished eighth in the state all-around competition, and Jayme Hostetter is confident in her daughter’s ability to lead the Lions.

“She knows how it goes. She has that experience and is very cognizant on how to help kids be the best … and get the most out of their skills,” Jayme Hostetter said. “Part of that comes from her strong desire to be sucessful at whatever she does. She doesn’t like to lose.”

Natalie Hostetter isn’t intimidated by the expectations placed on her or the team this season.

“It is a lot of pressure because everybody is always, ‘Well, weren’t you good last year?’” Natalie Hostetter said. “They expect me to win and come out on top.

But I think that pressure is good because I don’t want to let people down. I’m, for sure, hard on myself, too. But I know I’m more prepared this year than any other year. We worked real hard this summer, and we’re ready to roll.”

The Lions’ talent doesn’t stop at Natalie Hostetter. The Lions also return Sara Fiksdal, Katie Hayward, Jecinda Goodman, Cassie Hunt and Lauren Kmiechick.

In addition, an influx of talented freshman should aid the team.

“What we’ve gained in freshman this year is depth,” the coach said. “I didn’t pick up an Alexi, that’s pretty hard to replace, but what I did pick up are some really strong kids. They know the basics and they’re progressing like crazy. I’m super happy with them. It’s a great group of kids.”

The team will feature newcomers Maya Williams, Hannah Houck, Kelly Watrous, as well as transfer Delany Ralphs, a rhythmic gymnast.

“Where we are right now, we’re more advanced in our skills and work ethic than we were last year at this time,” Natalie Hostetter said. “We’re more prepared. I don’t think we have as many outstanding top girls, but our whole team is quality. Our whole team is depth.”

In addition to being competitively sound, Jayme Hostetter said this year’s squad has been the easiest group to coach. In fact, she said the team is so nice that a big part of her job is instilling a little killer instinct.

“In some cases, the freshman don’t know what it means to be aggressive, or go out and get after it,” she said. “Sometimes we have to push them a little.”

Ultimately, Jayme Hostetter said she is hopful that this year’s group will continue to carry on the program’s winning tradition.

“Of course, I’d like to win it all again, but that’s very hard to do,” she said. “But I think we’re going to be competitive at the state meet.”