For the first time since 2002, OH girls’ gymnastics qualified for State, earning an impressive 5th place finish. Senior Ava Sullivan then achieved the title of State Champion on vault.
OH gymnastics coach Micheal Borge said, “Knowing that we qualified, something a gymnastics team hadn’t done since 2002, was an incredibly cathartic event.”
Sullivan scored an outstanding 9.7 on vault, making history taking first place, also placing 3rd on beam, and 2nd on floor.
The team put a lot of effort and teamwork into this season to be where they are now, competing to the best of their ability.
“We put a lot of time into team culture this year, with coaches and athletes trying to make sure that we all felt like we belonged as part of the team so that when each athlete got up on the equipment they knew the fact that they weren’t alone,” said Borge.
The season was not all smooth sailing, but the girls worked hard, determined to push through the challenges.
“Just about halfway through the season I messed up my ankle in warmups before a home meet and it has been pretty weak ever since,” said Sullivan, “but I’ve been in the game long enough, I know where my limits are.”
Some challenges weren’t injuries, but just contained nerves and being confident during the meets for the girls.
Senior athlete Veda Hanke said, “At a couple meets throughout the season I would end up letting my nerves get the best of me and fall on one of my skills, but just like with anything I had to pick myself back up and not let it affect me on the rest of my routines, no matter how upset I was with myself.”
With determination and focus, the team strategically prepared for each meet, working towards team goals to reach their full potential.
“We have also practiced ‘chaos sets,’ where athletes do routines with others running around and screaming and waving things in an effort to be a distraction” said Borge.
“These kinds of things promote the physical and mental discipline required to be successful in the postseason, where systemic fatigue is often pretty high and the pressure of lots of things going on around us can also be real distractions,” he added.
They also have individual goals to keep them motivated to contribute to the team’s success.
“Personally, I always make it a point to eat well the day before, to get a good night’s sleep, and usually a good energy drink in the morning,” said Sullivan.
The team is thrilled to have gotten the chance to compete at State and are proud of how far they have come.
“I was beyond overjoyed and just felt so thankful that I could be a part of such a grand achievement with such an amazing team!” said Haake.
The girls have come together as a team to create a special season and achieve big things.
“I was, and am, so thoroughly content with what this group of athletes accomplished at all levels this year,” said Borge. “There was not a single goal set as a team at the JV or Varsity levels that we didn’t achieve. I could not be more proud of this group.”
I am a senior at Oswego High school and this is my first year on 42fifty. 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!
