VISTA — Three of the region’s best gymnasts are training under one roof at Coastal Gymnastics Academy in Vista, preparing for their final stretch on the club circuit before hitting the collegiate mats.
Student-athletes Chloe LaCoursiere, Takoda Berry and Jill Lastra will compete in NCAA Division I gymnastics programs next year at the University of Alabama, Clemson University and Sacramento State University, respectively.
Under the leadership of Coastal Gymnastics owner Ellie Gerber and coach Ryan Lipinski, this trio of female competitors has successfully navigated a journey filled with peaks and valleys, saltos and handsprings, devastating injuries and hard-fought victories.
Each of the girls has attributed their development and success to the atmosphere, leadership and coaching philosophy under Gerber, who previously coached at Seawind Gymnastics in Carlsbad.
LaCoursiere, 17, a Mount Carmel High School senior, discovered gymnastics 14 years ago while on a class field trip. Since then, LaCoursiere has grown into one of the best all-around gymnasts in the region and nationwide, winning a national title in the all-around and uneven bars and taking third in the floor exercise at the 2022 USA Gymnastics Men’s and Women’s Development Program National Championships.
But years of intense competition started taking their toll on the young gymnast’s body. LaCoursiere said she was fighting through stress fractures in both knees, felt “broken down,” and was falling “out of love” with the sport.
Upon arriving at Coastal Gymnastics, Gerber’s “athlete-first” ethos helped LaCoursiere quickly improve her confidence and rediscover her love of gymnastics. Now, she is preparing to compete for the Crimson Tide women’s gymnastics team.
“I just constantly want to get better,” LaCoursiere said. “As opposed to Junior Olympics, college gymnastics is all about the team. Alabama was not on my list, but once I visited, (the coaching staff and program) felt like family.”
Berry, 16, of Newport Beach, another Coastal Gymnastics athlete, is taking 17 courses this year to graduate early and enroll at Clemson on a full athletic scholarship to join the college’s first-ever women’s gymnastics team.
“The first day of the visit was me, and I felt at home,” Berry said of Clemson. “I’ll be part of the first competing class, so that’s exciting.”
She was first drawn to the sport as a toddler after taking a gymnastics class with her mother. Competing for the past 12 years, Berry persevered despite some rough patches and said she is more determined than ever to become a great gymnast.
Berry, a two-time national qualifier and two-time selection to the USA Gymnastics Development National Team, found the atmosphere at Coastal Gymnastics allowed her to have fun while performing at a high level.
Lastra, 17, a student at Classical Academy, started gymnastics 13 years ago and quickly got hooked on the sport, focusing on the uneven bars and floor exercises.
Two years ago, Lastra broke her back, forcing her to miss a season to recuperate. While she felt compelled to hurry back into competition, the Valley Center gymnast took time to heal and assess her next steps.
That’s when Lastra found Coastal Gymnastics, where she has thrived under Gerber and the other coaches.
Due to her injury, Lastra said she wasn’t confident she’d be able to compete at the collegiate level. However, after Gerber made some inquiries on her behalf, Sacramento State started intensely recruiting Lastra, who has since committed to the Hornets gymnastics program.
“We came here, and I absolutely love it,” Lastra said of Coastal Gymnastics. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve had very little back pain. I don’t have to feel afraid to tell Ellie I’m hurting. She’s so supportive of everything.”
