For Puyallup gymnast Kate Jacobsen, the floor is all hers

As an identical twin — not to mention one of seven children in her family — Kate Jacobsen knows what it’s like to share.

So in this weekend’s Class 4A state gymnastics meet, the Puyallup High School senior is hoping for the ultimate individual accomplishment, an all-around championship.

“I’m really excited,” said Jacobsen, who last weekend won the Class 4A West Central District 3 title. “I definitely feel prepared, and that this is what I have trained for.”

Jacobsen, a former Level 9 club gymnast who went to state as a sophomore before taking last year off to focus on school, is hoping her floor exercise will set her apart at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall. She will perform to a rendition of the theme song for the science-fiction series “Fringe” that she says makes for a “really dramatic” performance.

“I think a lot of girls use a routine they had choreographed in club, or they look on YouTube,” she said. “But I choreographed my own routine. I’m the only one who has it.

“I wanted to really make it my own — to really reflect my style of gymnastics.”

Vikings team captain Natalie Crouch said watching Jacobsen on the floor is “just incredible.”

“It’s the perfect blend of artistry and power,” said Crouch, a senior who will also compete at state. “It really symbolizes the sport as a whole.”

While the floor is Jacobsen’s favorite event, she is equally strong on the balance beam. The vault is generally her biggest challenge, which she attributes to “a lack of power.” But it was the uneven bars that were the most disconcerting this year.

“When I was in club, it was my best event, hands down, but after taking a year off, I lost so much strength,” she said. “But after all season preparing, I feel like I am starting to get back to where I was.”

That showed at the district meet, as Jacobsen captured first place on the bars, scoring a 9.5. She also won the beam (9.7) and was second on the floor (9.575).

“Before we started competing Saturday, she flat out said, ‘I’m ready,’ ” Puyallup coach Dorinda Carpenter said, adding with a laugh, “She showed it.”

Unlike many high-level gymnasts, Jacobsen did not take up the sport until age 10. But she advanced to Level 9 before ending her club career as a freshman.

“I didn’t have as much time in the gym, but the time I had was more valuable,” she said.

This season, she is the lone Jacobsen in the gym after years training alongside her twin, Jane, who retired after fracturing her pelvis as a sophomore, and older sister Mary, a Level 10 club gymnast who now competes for Oregon State University.

“It’s crazy to not be doing gymnastics with my sisters,” she said, “but I feel like I have become a lot closer to my teammates.”

Jacobsen, an accomplished pianist who plans to study either math or music at Pacific Lutheran University, also coaches young gymnasts at the YMCA in Puyallup.

“I look back to when I was starting out in club, and I really looked up to my coaches,” she said. “I like to be that role model for these girls.”

They’re not the only ones she dazzles, though.

“It’s mesmerizing,” Carpenter said of watching Jacobsen perform. “When she finishes, the crowd is in this ‘awe’ moment.”

It’s a feeling Jacobsen hopes the judges will have this weekend.

“This is my last shot,” she said. “I want to go out there, have fun, and do really well.”

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 7:21 PM with the headline "For Puyallup gymnast Kate Jacobsen, the floor is all hers."