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?

A I believe the decision to compete in the state meet last year may have led to my development of mild arthritis in the L4 and L5. I also found out I'm Vitamin D deficient, which could have contributed to the spondylolysis.

Q What have the doctors said about your back?

A Originally, my back was supposed to heal in roughly three months but when it had not healed after four and a half months, I had a CT scan that showed quite a bit of bone degeneration or osteoarthritis. The doctor said that my back was comparable to a 50-year-old.

Q How do you feel now?

A This fall, I received two cortisone shots to help the pain and the shots have helped tremendously. Before, basically all day-to-day activities could aggravate my back, but now only sitting for long periods of time and bending backwards hurt it.

Q But you've still been able to compete. How do you feel this year about qualifying for the state meet in three events?

A I'm happy that I made it, but I didn't have my best meet. I screwed up my floor routine but I still qualified, so that's good. And I fell on the balance beam but I still made the all-around. I'm not super-thrilled. I was hoping for a little better.

Q With your back situation, it sounds like you've been remarkably successful. Why do you still compete?

A I honestly don't know. I don't really like competing because I get so nervous. I think I do it because I get a thrill out of winning and I love to learn new things.

Q What do you expect from the state meet this year?

A Well, I'm not expecting to win anything, but I want to end on a good note. I really just want to go out and have fun.

Q Is this the end of your gymnastics career?

A I'm going to Gustavus next year, and they have a gymnastics team. I've considered joining, but my mom isn't very keen on it. As time has gone on, I've been persuading her more and more. I might be wearing her down.