The gymnastics team has won both district and regionals competitions and will be heading to states at Lake Braddock High School on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23. In addition to qualifying for the team competition, five gymnasts have earned spots in their respective individual events.
This season the team has dominated, securing first place in all but one competition and finishing with an impressive 5-1 record. The first day of states will be team competitions where various gymnasts’ individual scores will count toward a team total. On the second day of states, athletes will compete in the event they individually qualified for. Senior Adrina Smith will compete for vault; senior Ava Bucker will compete for bars, beam, and floor; junior Ashley Bates will compete beam; senior Cara King will compete All-Around (bars, beam, vault, and floor); and senior Krisha Ford will also compete All-Around.
“Winning regionals and districts felt very exciting and was such a big moment because we have worked so hard and pushed and supported each other throughout the season,” junior Ashley Bates said. “Gymnastics is very mentally challenging, and your team plays a big part in keeping your mind positive and being calm before competing.”
Gymnastics is not only a physically demanding sport, but it requires athletes to perform without mistakes under immense pressure. Although this sport is scored on individual scores, the environment is largely team focused and requires intentional support from teammates.
“I feel like it’s more than just the individual scores because having that faith and confidence in your teammates as well as cheering them on is really important,” senior Krisha Ford said. “I also love being able to cheer on each and every one of my teammates.”
Each individual event requires a different skill and technique. While all events require physical strength, they vary in their need for speed and balance. The ability to execute pin point accuracy, balance on beam, explosive power, and flexibility on floor, showcases the many different events and the wide range of talent gymnasts have.
“Vault is probably my best event because it is the shortest and is more focused on power rather than endurance,” senior Adrina Smith said. “It’s simple in the way that you only have to execute one skill but that one skill has to be executed perfectly, which is what I like about it.”
Many of the gymnasts emphasize the importance of staying confident and calm, especially before competing or after making a mistake. This mental discipline allows them to execute the complex routines that they have been practicing for months.
“I think the beam is my best event because it is my favorite to practice and I think balance is my greatest strength in gymnastics,” Bates said. “My favorite part about beam is how rewarding it feels when you have a great routine because of how unpredictable beam can be, so when you hit it is so exciting.”
While the pressure to perform is high, these athletes are not letting it get to them. With all the support from one another from the last six competitions, they have had significant growth and success that has prepared them for states.
“At states, I’d like to just have fun and cherish each moment I have with my teammates,” Ford said. “We worked so hard to get to the states, so it’s important to not let the pressure get to us and have fun for the last time together. I am going to continue doing gymnastics in college, but I will always miss and love high school gymnastics.”
