A Tall Order for Gymnast : Grossmont’s Temple Negating Height Disadvantage

Six years ago, Kara Temple was introduced to gymnastics by her stepsister at the advanced age of 11, about the time many promising gymnasts are nearing their prime.

Temple’s stepsister later dropped the sport in favor of less acrobatic sports such as rowing, volleyball and swimming, mainly because her body length was no longer conducive to twisting and turning in the air.

Temple has had similar problems--she has suddenly sprouted to 5-feet-7. But unlike her stepsister, Temple didn’t take the hint.

And because of her stubbornness, Temple, a senior at Grossmont High, is within reach of a college gymnastics scholarship.

UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have expressed interest in her talents. Temple has expressed an interest in attending Michigan State.

Temple will enter today’s Winter Holiday Classic meet at San Diego State’s Peterson Gymnasium (2 p.m.) as a “level 9” gymnast, one step away from the “elite” category. And she is some 10 inches taller than Mary Lou Retton was when Retton won the all-around gold medal for the United States in the 1984 Olympics.

“Kara is coordinated, flexible and very quick, so even though she’s tall for a gymnast, she’s been able to hold her own,” said Darla Franz, Temple’s coach at the Aztec Gymnastic Club for four years. “But Kara hasn’t been able to overcome (her height) enough to be an elite gymnast.”

Carol Laue, Grossmont’s coach, views Temple as an phenomenon.

“Anybody that has put that much height on and is able to control it is amazing,” Laue said. “Most girls Kara’s height have long since quit the sport. But I think Kara is able to handle it, because she’s very light.

“Aesthetically, it makes her that much better to watch. In fact, I think her height is an asset. She’s got incredible leg form and flexibility, which helps her a lot on the floor (exercise) and the balance (beam).”

Temple’s thoughts on the size issue?

“I think it’s all a matter of opinion,” she said. “I’m sure it might help me a little bit now if I was shorter, but I’m glad I’m tall. Except for maybe the vault, it really doesn’t hurt me too much.”

What does hurt Temple these days is the ankle ligaments she tore last year during the high school season. The injury in her right leg caused her to miss three months of workouts, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time.

“It occurred right when she was learning all her new skills,” Franz said. “It still affects her. That’s her landing leg for all of her dismounts.”

The ligament damage prevented Temple from competing until the divisional finals, where she helped her Grossmont team qualify for the section team championships by scoring an 8.5 on the uneven bars.

“Her ankle was hurting so bad, she had to do a dismount off the low bars,” Laue said. “Incredibly, she almost qualified for the CIF individuals.”

That is a feat she has never accomplished in three years of trying. This year, Temple is expecting a different result.

“I’m setting my goals a little higher this year,” Temple said.

Those also include securing a place in Sunday’s 4 p.m. finals, which might be tough if her most recent injury inhibits her.

Wednesday in practice, Temple bruised her left heel on a dismount.

But if Temple can overcome a late start, a height problem and an ankle injury, what’s a little bruised heel?