At the recent Section 5, Class 2A gymnastics meet, Maple Grove senior Kalyn Botzet qualified for the state meet in the all-around, uneven bars and floor exercise.
That's commendable but not unusual --until one considers the fact that Botzet spent four months of her junior season in a hard plastic back brace that went from her armpits to her hips, the result of stress fractures in her back. She recovered enough last year to qualify for the state meet in the floor exercise, a decision now tinged with regret.
Botzet talked to staff writer Jim Paulsen recently about her recovery, the state meet, and her future in gymnastics.
Q Talk about your injury.
A I fractured my L4 and L5 vertebrae -- they're right above the tailbone. In my particular case, I had spondylolysis, or fractures of the pars bones, which are the bumpy parts on the outside of the spine. Since the pars bones are on the outer side of the spine, away from the spinal cord, the injury is not as severe as it sounds.
Q But you were able to come back and qualify for the state meet in the floor exercise.
A [It] was probably not the best idea. I made my floor routine at sections and scored a 9.625, but at the state meet my back gave out on my last tumbling pass, causing me to fall.
Q It's been a year since your injury. Has there been any residual effect?
