Miranda Lund returns for Plainview JFK

Miranda Lund was an asset for the Plainview JFK girls gymnastics team last year, an invaluable piece to its county-winning puzzle.

She did so wearing what she called a “robot-looking brace.”

Lund suffered an elbow injury after the team’s first meet of her freshman year, which cost her the remainder of the season. But Lund never sulked, and was an important contributor for Plainview JFK as it won the Nassau team championship.

“She came to every practice and every meet,” coach Debbie Rut said. “What she couldn’t do physically for her team, she was there in every other way.”

Lund helped her teammates with their form at practices and was the scorekeeper at each of Plainview JFK’s meets last year.

“I always felt like I was a part of the team,” she said. “I just wanted to be there for them and support them however I could. Because I know they would do the same for me.”

This year, the sophomore will help her team in a different way.

In Plainview’s first meet of the season, a non-league matchup against South Side on Dec. 12, Lund was in vintage form. Her 9.4 on beam and 9.3 on floor helped her win the all-around with a score of 35.85.

It was a good start for Lund, who was selected to the Nassau state team as an eighth-grader two years ago and hopes to be a selection again this season.

“I want to do whatever it takes for Plainview to win counties again,” Lund said. “And for myself, my goal again is to make the state team.”

It will be no easy feat. Eight of the 11 gymnasts from last year’s state team return to Nassau mats this year — Plainview JFK’s Jessica Lopez, Ashley Bellino and Renee Vulin; Massapequa’s Allison Wick, Gillian Murphy and Heidi Baldinger, and Wantagh’s Julie Giardina and Grace Conway.

Her competition across the county will be fierce, but Lund knows how to meet a challenge.

“She’s got incredible focus and works so hard,” Rut said. “And she truly is a team player. That motivates her. She’s always, ‘what can I do to help the team?’ Nothing’s going to stop her.”

Not even a robot-looking brace.