On Wednesday, April 24, the Los Altos High School varsity gymnastics team secured second place overall in their home meet against neighboring schools, including Mountain View, Cupertino, Homestead, Lynbrook and Saint Francis.

Hosted at LAHS, the meet drew a crowd of roughly 40 family and friends in support. The meet started with a salute from every gymnast on the floor before they were released to compete with their respective teams in different events. Among the competitors was senior Zoe Cohn, who competed on beam, bars and floor.

“Everyone brought high energy and was genuinely excited to be there,” Zoe said. “Even in events that I struggled with, like beam, everyone was still there to cheer me on.”

In between turns, athletes filmed their teammates’ routines, conversed with gymnasts from other teams and snacked on chips and cookies. Coaches, such as varsity Head Coach Sarah Wallace, assisted each gymnast with their skills for extra support.

Despite the local rivalry between LAHS and Mountain View High School, the gymnastics team — which trains with MVHS athletes — has found a unique sense of camaraderie.

“Varsity is super close, especially because our team is mixed with Mountain View,” senior Camille Steciw said. “It’s only me, Olivia and Zoe from Los Altos, but our team dynamic is still really strong.”

According to senior Olivia Massey, the schools have been able to put their differences aside and join together in a sport they love.

“Honestly, it’s really nice to all be together because you meet a lot of new people,” Olivia said. “Although we do like to smack talk each other a bit, everyone is very friendly and I’ve made some great friendships this season.”

“I like seeing people excited to win at events during awards,” Zoe said. “Even though Los Altos didn’t place first overall, it is always nice to be standing with my teammates and representing our school.”

Cupertino High School will host the Eagles’ next meet on Monday, May 6 at 5 p.m.