By the time most teenagers reach their senior year of high school, they look forward to a life away from home. Whether it's going away to college or moving into their first apartment as they pursue other dreams, spending time with family often is not at the top of their list of priorities.
But Squalicum's Tyler Franzen is not a typical high school senior. Rather than looking for activities to do away from her family, Franzen found a way to spend more time with her younger sister, Tori, even if it meant picking up a sport she hadn't competed in for nearly two years.
"This is my senior year, and after this year I'm not going to get to see my little sister any more," Franzen said in a phone interview. "I wanted to spend more time with her and have as much fun as I could before I go away to college."
The 39th Annual Sehome Invitational gymnastics meet on Saturday, Jan. 22, at the North Coast Gymnastics Academy will most likely mark the last time that the Franzen sisters will get to compete together in Whatcom County.
"It's going to be bittersweet," Tyler said. "I expect it to be a lot of fun, though. My parents will get to come to their first meet this year, and a lot of my friends are going to be there, so it will be neat to compete in front of them again."
Though she hasn't been a competitive gymnast for a couple of years, Franzen is hardly a rookie on the beam or the vault. In fact, she was a club gymnast for five years and qualified for the WIAA State Championships in both apparatus as a freshman, tying for 88th on the vault and finishing 86th on the beam.
But Franzen also went out for cross country and track as a freshman, and her coaches suggested she consider running year-round to help her succeed in that sport. Balancing training for two sports along with her studies became a little too much, said Franzen, who also is active in student government and is serving as the student body vice president at Squalicum this year.
"She found a love for cross country and track and then got active in the student council, and gymnastics kind of got put on the backburner for her," coach Doriane Gunnels said in a phone interview. "I hated to see her go, but I was fine with it. I try to support all my gymnasts and the decisions they make ... She made the decision that was best for her."
Franzen had her best cross country season as a sophomore, placing 11th at the Class 2A Northwest District Meet before finishing 36th at state. She said she was a little disappointed by finishing 27th at district this past fall and failing to qualify for state.
Even though she stopped doing tumbling routines, Franzen never was all that far away from the gymnastics team, as last year she watched Tori develop into a gymnast capable of tying for eighth on the beam and placing in the top 15 on the vault and the bar during her freshman year at last year's State Championships.
"Tori is amazing," Franzen said. "I'm so proud of my little sister. She's has worked so hard for this. She goes home and practices her routines every night. She deserves this."
The more Franzen watched her little sister, the more she wanted to be a part of it.
"Tyler has a heart of gold," Gunnels said. "She likes to be a part of the lives of her family, her teammates and everybody around her ... It's pretty touching to see a senior that wants to spend more time with her younger sister. She's a very special person."
Turns out she's also a special athlete. She had to be to attempt a comeback in such a technical sport that she hadn't even practiced in nearly two years.
"I think it's pretty amazing," Gunnels said. "It's like she's never missed a beat. Talent-wise, she's right about where she was when she left. If anything, she's better because she's more mature now. Now you see that she's got her whole heart into gymnastics. I think she's showed more heart because she missed it the last two years, and she's having a good time with it. She's definitely jumped back in with both feet."
Like most gymnasts, though, Franzen is a bit of a perfectionist, and she sees all the little things that took years to perfect that she can no longer do after not practicing them on a daily basis.
"It's been a struggle at times," she said. "I used to be so competitive, and now it hurts. I'm falling a lot more ... Just getting all the skills back and getting my confidence back so I'm not so nervous before a competition has been tough ... I have to accept what I can do now and not think about what I could do before."
Franzen said she's enjoyed the opportunity to compete in the sport once again and the opportunity it's provided her to spend time with her teammates - particularly her younger sister, of course. And her team has enjoyed having her around, as well.
"A lot of the girls in the gym look at her in awe," Gunnels said. "She's been gone from the sport for two years, and she's still able to pull off some amazing routines."
Franzen credited her running workouts with helping her maintain the conditioning level she needs for her longer routines.
"It still feels pretty natural out there," Franzen said. "I think the biggest thing for me to get over is not being able to see where I'm going when I'm twisting in the air. A couple of times I've gone to do a tumbling pass and freaked out and taken a fall. But I feel like I'm starting to get used to it again."
Franzen, who said she is awaiting word on her application to Seattle University to study nursing, would like nothing more than to head back down to Tacoma and compete in the state meet a second time - this time with her sister by her side.
"I don't care what events I go in," Franzen said. "It would be a fun way to wrap up this part of my life."
Reach David Rasbach at david.rabach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2271.
SEHOME INVITATIONAL
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22
Site: North Coast Gymnastics Academy (1710 Express Drive, Bellingham)
