The Stanford women’s gymnastics team has a long history of bringing in some of the sport’s most notable and dynamic competitors — in recent years, seniors Tabitha Yim and Liz Tricase. But the gymnasts who fly just below the radar are equally as remarkable.

When redshirt freshman Allyse Ishino competed at the 2004 Pacific Alliance as a high-school student, the announcer stated, “I’m sure there are a lot of people watching today that have never heard of this young lady. It is really remarkable.”

And remarkable is perhaps the best way to describe Ishino, who has consistently battled her way into the hearts and minds of gymnastics fans around the world, beginning with the 2004 Olympic trials, where she came in fifth and earned a spot as the team’s alternate.

Ishino was also the 2006 Junior Olympic National All-Around Champion, a U.S. national team member for four years and a 2004 Pacific Alliance Games All-Around Champion.

“One of my greatest accomplishments before coming to Stanford was being chosen as an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team,” Ishino said. “Here, it’s been getting to compete with the most amazing group of girls and accomplishing team goals together.”

But Ishino’s career began long before she first exploded into the American gymnastics spotlight. She began gymnastics at age three, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Genine.

“My mom didn’t want to watch us while she waited for my older sister,” Ishino said. “So she found it convenient to put my brothers and me in classes also.”

Gymnastics may have been substitute day-care, but it certainly has paid off for Ishino’s family. Genine, the oldest sibling, was on the gymnastics team at Cal. Both of Ishino’s two other siblings, Gian and Glen, have also done gymnastics, and her youngest brother will be joining the Golden Bears next year on a gymnastics’scholarship.

A huge motivation for Ishino in her gymnastics career has been the people in her life.

“My sister and Tabitha Yim were my biggest role models growing up, especially because Tab and I worked out together when we were in elite,” she said.

Unlike her two siblings, one of Ishino’s life-long goals was to come to Stanford. True to form, she worked hard and got what she wanted. In late November of last year when she found out that she had a blood clot in her lungs, everyone expected her to be crestfallen at the loss of her first year as a Stanford gymnast. Instead, right after her diagnosis, she came to the team’s exhibition meet with a smile, comforting her teammates.

“My pulmonary emboli restricted me from doing any gymnastics whatsoever...only strength and conditioning, so it was quite frustrating,” she said.

Ishino has spent the last year battling back but has done so gracefully and with the kind of energy and mental toughness that has characterized her entire gymnastics career.

“It hasn’t been difficult coming back at all...It’s the same as returning from an injury. It took a little time to get my rhythm back on certain skills, but it’s great now!” she added. “My favorite thing is the thrill of learning something new and the feeling you get when all your hard work pays off in competitions.”

It may have helped that for the last year, Ishino has kept active with dance. She is a member of DV8, a hip-hop dance group on campus.

Even though she kept dancing through the last year, it was no small feat to debut her college career after taking a full year off from competition. Yet again, Ishino proved herself, opening her competitive collegiate career against none other than No. 1 Georgia.

She barely batted an eye at the Bulldogs with a bar and vault routine that added major depth and a huge boost for the Cardinal.

“My hope is to solely contribute as much as I can to this program and help the team win its first NCAA championship,” she said.

And so Ishino throws open the door to what figures to not only be a promising season, but a prolific Stanford career.