There are such things as second chances. The Mercer Island gymnastics team, despite failing to qualify for the district tournament this weekend as a team, qualified enough individuals at the KingCo meet last Saturday to compete as a team.

“Everybody gets another chance,” said head coach Lenny Lewis. Three Islanders will compete in the all-around competition, while the rest earned individual event qualifications for districts.

“We had difficulty on bars, but overall it went pretty well,” said Lewis. Even though the team finished fourth overall, with the top three qualifying for districts, Lewis said that because the whole team will be competing as individuals, there is the outside chance that the team could place at districts and possibly make the state competition. From districts, four gymnasts make the all-around state competition: 10 individuals go to state and two teams make the cut.

Lewis, who usually ducks out while the Mercer Island girls are competing to avoid adding pressure, did the same last Saturday, to the chagrin of Kristin Trumble during her bars routine. Lewis said he is so used to the girls wanting him not to watch their events that he forgot to be there during Trumble’s bar routine, causing her to compete at less than her best.

“Luckily, she gets another chance this weekend,” he said.

Going into the meet at Sammamish, Lewis said he wants the girls to be better prepared. He said some of the girls held back for whatever reason, and that some girls are still injured, performing at less than their full potential.

Lewis said Meg Lindsay had a great meet, calling her “really stable” throughout the meet. Lindsay, along with Trumble and Kari Johnson, qualified for the all-around district competition.

The Islanders finished fourth as a team with a score of 136.725. Mount Si finished first (163.05), Bellevue second (154.675) and Liberty third (144.075).

The district gymnastics meet will take place at Sammamish High School this Saturday, beginning with the first session march-in at 3:45 p.m.