Girls Gymnastics / Seamount League -- Highline Gymnast Comes Full Circle -- Senior Returns From Knee Injury Intent On Seamount Title

BURIEN - Kelli Wood flew through her floor exercise routine with an unexpected twist - literally. A full twist, something she hadn't done for nearly two years - since the time she tore up her right knee in her last attempt.

And there was no one more surprised at the unexpected addition in a recent Seamount League gymnastics meet than Wood herself.

"You should have seen the look on her face," Highline Coach Denise Roth said. "She was shocked."

It was the last move Wood expected to do.

"I kind of refuse to do that (full twist)," the senior said. "I did it on accident. I guess subconsciously I wanted to do it. I tried it and I did it fine."

So, the move is back in Wood's repertoire, right?

No way.

"I did it once," Wood said, "but I know I won't do it again. I can't mentally tell myself to do it. I'm a little afraid in that sense."

Even without the full twist, though, Wood is one of the league's top gymnasts. Although she lost the 1995 Seamount crown to Evergreen's Marie Benedict by five one-hundredths of a point, she was the highest Seamount all-around finisher at the Sea-King District meet, tying for third place.

In her first appearance at the state meet, Wood qualified for the finals last year on the vault, her best event, and placed eighth. One of her goals this season is to win her first Seamount League title.

"I never have won the league meet," she said.

"That would be a really nice thing if I won that."

Her first two years at Highline, Wood gave club gymnastics precedence over high-school competition. As a freshman, she opted for a club meet in Reno, Nev., instead of the Seamount League meet when the two coincided.

"It was the first chance I'd had to compete out of state, and I felt it was a good opportunity," she said.

As a sophomore, Wood finished second in the all-around to Mount Rainier's Terina Cook at the league meet, then had a less-than-spectacular district meet, placing fourth on the vault and sixth on the uneven bars. She skipped the state meet, again opting for a club meet in Reno.

"I was still a lot into club," Wood said. "I just wanted to finish what they did. And it turned out really well, because that year at regionals in Hawaii, I took first place on vault."

Not long afterward, Wood's club career ended when she injured her right knee during a routine practice, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. She had reconstructive surgery in late May. Gymnastics as she knew it was over.

"I knew I wasn't going to go back to gymnastics like it had been," Wood said. "It takes so long to get over it (surgery), it wasn't even worth going back and starting up again. You're so far behind. I was 16 and I felt like I'd been in gymnastics for club long enough."

For a while, Wood actually appreciated the time away from the sport she began at age 10.

"I was kind of enjoying my break," she said. "But after a couple of months of having to stay off my knee, I got really tired of doing nothing."

So she tried diving and enjoyed some success, although she failed to get past the Seamount League meet. And when high-school gymnastics rolled around, Wood was raring to go - with the help of a sturdy knee brace that she still wears.

"My knee is actually stronger than it used to be," said Wood, who hopes to attend the University of Washington and compete in gymnastics. "I wish I could go without the brace, but I can't. If I do, I put myself at a high risk of injury again."

Roth said Wood has been as impressive as she was before the injury.

"She hasn't been working in the offseason, but to me you can't tell it," Roth said. "She's got the strength and flexibility of a powerhouse."

A powerhouse who hopes to make an impact at this year's state meet.

"My goal is just to relax and see what happens," Wood said. "I think I have more of a chance this year to make finals on more than one event." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Seamount League's top gymnasts.

Camille Abe, sr., Renton.

Jerrine Becker, sr., Hazen.

Marie Benedict, jr., Evergreen.

Heather Bramble, sr., Renton.

Cara Brooks, soph., Kennedy.

Carina Carfrae, sr., Evergreen.

Mindy Dunbar, fresh., Lindbergh.

Brie Farley, jr., Kennedy.

Gesii Gudjorson, soph., Highline.

Mindy Harris, jr., Liberty.

Corrie Hunt, soph., Mount Rainier.

Erin Kawasaki, jr., Kennedy.

Edrie Kelly, soph., Tyee.

Martina Kubec, fresh., Mount Rainier.

Kim Knipshield, soph., Liberty.

Kathryn Palumbo, sr., Lindbergh.

Anna Taylor, soph., Hazen.

Liah Travis, sr., Highline.

Leslie Upchurch, sr., Mount Rainier.

Kelli Wood, sr., Highline.