For Mankato Wests Maddie Maruska and Rachel Conley, gymnastics is all in their head.

The duo has returned to the Scarlets after missing virtually all of last season with torn anterior cruciate ligaments. Both gymnasts suffered their injury on the opening meet of the 2012 season while doing the floor excercise.

Co-head coach Mark Morphew remembers the day well.

After that meet, (coach) Elizabeth (Mullikin) and I were kind of hanging our heads, he said. Not only did we feel bad for Maddie and Rachel because they had worked hard to get where they were at, but we knew what it meant for the team.

We had high hopes going into last season and then we lost our two best gymnasts right out of the gate. We knew that everybody was going to have to temper their expectations.

The junior Maruska and senior Conley, who are best friends both in and out of the gymnastics room, had their surgeries on consecutive days by the same doctor at Immanuel-St. Joes Hospital in Mankato. They did their rehab and were cleared to resume full athletic activity this past August.

But this where the head part kicks in. While both may be at or close to 100 percent physically, there are still some mental hurdles to be conquered.

The West season began last week and both gymnasts admit that they have yet to cut loose during practice or a competition especially when it comes to the floor exercise.

Theres a fear factor there, Conley said. Were trying to deal with it the best we can.

Morphew says being tentative at the start of this season is natural.

More here:
Local gymnastics teams are getting Ready to Tumble