Back on her feet

West hopes surgery leads to third title

Mallory West faced a Catch-22.

She could participate in the state diving meet, but miss the start of Lawrence High’s fall gymnastics season as she recovered from reconstructive ankle surgery; or undergo the operation one week after qualifying for state and return for the beginning of gymnastics.

“It was really disappointing,” said West, a 17-year-old junior. “I had to give up something.”

West sacrificed the diving meet, opting for surgery March 22. Having decided in favor of the sport she has savored since kindergarten, she aims to win both her third consecutive state individual all-around gymnastics title and lead LHS to its third straight title this fall. Both titles depend greatly on the condition of West’s ankle.

To an untrained observer, the ankle looks good. Only faintly can one see the surgical scar on the lower part of her ankle – after the brace is untied and gauze padding unwrapped. Recovery from reconstructive ankle surgery typically takes at least 12 weeks, and West has started running and practicing.

The 5-foot-3 dynamo said she would be ready for her school’s first gymnastics meet Sept. 6, but her coach took a more cautious approach.

“She’s responding well,” said Kathy Johnson, gymnastics coach for LHS and Free State High. “She’s a determined young lady. If she sets her mind to it, that’ll be her goal. If her body responds, that will be the other half of it.”

Lawrence High junior Mallory West (in blue) chats with LHS senior Abby Jones before gymnastics practice at Free State High. West is preparing to defend her state all-around gymnastics title, a feat made more difficult by reconstructive surgery on her right ankle in March.

Her right ankle – which was “like mush,” West said – necessitated doctors to sew her ligaments back together during a two-hour surgery. Subsequently, she supported herself with crutches for a week and a half and wore a hard cast for three to four weeks. Her recovery also included trips to physical therapy three to four times a week for 12 weeks. She continues to rehab at home with trampoline and resistance-band work followed by nightly icing.

The pounding she has endured since the age of four caused the injury. West became interested in gymnastics at that tender age by following her older sister, Meredith. Two years after her introduction to tumbling, Mallory began competing in gymnastics, and coaches quickly recognized she had the mental makeup and skill set to become a gymnastics star.

“Even within that first year, they could tell she was equipped to handle that sport pretty well,” said Bernie West, Mallory’s mother. “She just had the drive and the motivation besides some of the physical ability.”

Because of that drive, she sometimes neglects her health. During cheerleading camp this summer, Kara Kellison, West’s friend since age three and an LHS gymnastics and cheerleading teammate, took away her ankle braces to prevent her from continuing.

Lawrence High junior Mallory West practices on the balance beam at Free State High. West has won two straight state all-around titles.

“You could tell on her face that it hurt too much,” Kellison said. “She pushes it too hard sometimes.”

While West pushes to regain her health, she has other goals for improvement in the vault, balance beam, uneven parallel bars and floor routine – the four exercises which constitute the all-around competition. She wants to add more difficulty to her routine, including a new vault with one-and-a-half back flips and a bar routine featuring a new dismount.

With West having honed her skills, LHS should field a very formidable squad once again. The Lions return Abby Jones, a senior who won the bars last year, and Kellison, a senior who finished third in the floor last year. The team’s lone loss is Meredith West, who enrolled at Emporia State University.

As LHS prepares for another run to state, the Lions are working in enemy territory. Because of construction at LHS, they must practice in the Free State wrestling room with the Free State athletes. The cohabitation is not as awkward as one might guess. Johnson coaches both schools, and many of the girls compete together on the same club teams.

“The football players are like, ‘You practice with Free State,'” Kellison said. “But we’re all friends.”

West is amiable by nature. Embodying the spirit of a cheerleader, the peppy junior even skips on the mat while answering questions about her health.

“The smile never goes away, ever,” Kellison said.

West’s outgoing persona has led to a full load of extracurricular activities. She gave up the 30-hours-a-week regimen of club gymnastics during junior high to fulfill her diversified interests, including diving, cheerleading, schoolwork and teaching Sunday school to kindergartners at St. John’s Catholic Church.

“She balances a lot on her plate,” Bernie West said. “It’s not a plate. It’s a platter.”

West has not decided where she will take her multi-tasking skills next, or even if she will compete in collegiate gymnastics. West, however, said Kansas University would be the “ideal” choice if it had a gymnastics program.

Coaches from a few schools, which she declined to name, have approached her after meets, but such interest should increase now that she is an upperclassman. With the status of her right ankle up in the air, her health also could prevent her from reaching the next level.

But don’t bet on it.

“I’m not ready to be done with gymnastics,” West said.