OH gymnasts Sam Phillip and Ava Sullivan have been turning heads and bringing in crowds since they were freshmen on the OH varsity team. As seniors, they are savoring their final season.
“This senior season is truly flying,” Sullivan said. “Lots of big emotions, obviously, but it’s going as great as I could ask for. Honestly, things are starting to get intense, but I’m having a blast this one last time.”
Both athletes hold school records: Phillip is tied for the school record on floor with a score of 9.6 and holds the vault record with a score of 9.8. Sullivan is also tied for the school record on floor with a score of 9.6.
Head Coach Coach Borge expressed nothing but high hope and excitement for these two incredible athletes and their team as a whole.
“In a sport often characterized as being an individual sport: our girls root for each other and their competitors,” Borge said.
Borge has coached Phillip and Sullivan throughout their high school years. Reflecting on this season’s goals, he recalled a moment from last year.
“At the end of last season, I bought an offensively orange bow tie that I brought to our award night,” Borge said. “I held it up for the team to see, and told the girls that I bought it to wear for one day only: the team state championship. Oswego has not appeared as a team in the state meet since 2002, and I know this team has the capacity to change that.”
Borge continues to send a message of hope and perseverance for this team.
“Prior, the team had not finished above 23rd in the state since at least 2012. In Sam’s freshmen year, the team finished 12th. Ava joined Sophomore year, and the team finished 10th. The team repeated the 10th-place finish last year and is currently seeded in the top 2 teams in the state,” said Borge.
“Those sustained improvements don’t happen because of one or two superstars: it takes everyone part of this program to do that.” Borge points out.
Sullivan also acknowledged the challenges that come with pursuing a state title.
“With the records, it’s all a really exciting experience, but the highest scores come from focusing on details and precision. So difficulties would probably be having to focus on every little detail to get the score I want but that’s kind of the nature of the sport,” said Sullivan.
Borge also highlighted that beyond titles and scores, Phillip and Sullivan exemplify exceptional sportsmanship.
“One of the best illustrations of Ava’s character comes from the state meet in her Junior year… Ava’s performance in event finals included a significant error that eliminated her chances for a podium finish. She was, understandably, devastated by this but rather than leaving the competition floor to be sad, she stayed in and cheered on the athletes from other programs,” said Borge.
He continues to describe a moment after when Sullivan consoled another competitor who faced a similar setback.
“When one of the other girls from another school faced a similar error and left the floor in tears, Ava was the first to find her in the hallway to affirm her and bring her back to the group. It is this presence of mind to put the needs of others first amid frustration that makes her a truly exceptional leader, and a truly exceptional young woman,” said Borge.
Phillip has also shown exemplary composure and care for her teammates during high-pressure moments.
“In her sophomore year, the team was set to qualify for state, but errors occurred… A teammate knew her season was over with that mistake. Sam had to watch and process what was happening in real-time. She ran to her teammate to help triage her emotions. Sam had to shift gears from being a support for someone else to qualifying for the state meet on the individual side… The balance of care for others with the ability to dial in and execute for herself and others is rare in a person of any age, let alone in a 10th grader,” said Borge.
As this final season progresses, both athletes have expressed gratitude for their journey here at OH.
“Mentally it has taught me determination, when things get tough, it’s not time to give up, but it’s time to push through,” said Phillip.
Most importantly, these two girls can agree on how gymnastics has impacted them, past the trophies or medals, “I’m proud of the person I’ve become from this sport. Proud of all the strong relationships and connections I have made and will continue to keep close to me when I am no longer considered a gymnast,” said Sullivan.
As they strive for the state title, Phillip, Sullivan, and the OH gymnastics team are set to leave a lasting legacy in the program’s history.
Hello! I'm Lindsay Arand, a first year staff reporter and sports editor for the publication. I am a senior this year. At OHS I am apart of OATS, as well as track and girls soccer. I'm excited to collaborate and meet new people! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
great article
SO GOOD! I love it!